Music education charity, More Music is looking to appoint a PHD researcher for a pilot project May 2019 – February 2020 in the West End of Morecambe to help them discover whether engaging in singing can have a positive impact on the people who take part.
More Music is a community music and education charity based in the West End of Morecambe, working throughout Lancashire, the North West and internationally. Established in 1993, the charity provides a year round programme that covers a breadth of music making activity involving people of all ages and all backgrounds, and is one of the longest running and most highly regarded community music and education organisations in the UK.
The proposal is to establish two new singing projects in Morecambe to bring people together in safe, creative, fun environments. They want to
- build resilience, social contact and friendship, enhance mental wellbeing and address some long –term, life limiting health conditions including respiratory illness and dementia.
- raise awareness of the power of the arts in community contexts.
- help to reduce the impact on local medical services, that are under considerable pressure from the multiple health challenges confronted by this community and we want to improve levels of happiness.
The project aims to build a model for working with medical practitioners that can be developed and replicated.
This pilot will
- enable More Music to create an effective workable model with demonstrable outcomes for which we can fundraise
- create a methodology for partnership working between arts organisations and medical practitioners that can be shared
- develop new expertise within More Music than can be transferred to different health contexts
- raise awareness of the impact of social prescribing locally and regionally
- support singers as they grow in health and confidence to progress to More Music’s other activities, and signpost them to other local agencies offering accessible creative activities.
- connect people and reduce loneliness through the development of meaningful relationships based around a positive activity
- provide opportunities and routes for participants to engage with other local projects e.g. volunteering , peer facilitation to help maintain good mental health.
Main duties :
- To work alongside the More Music project team
- To regularly attend sessions
- To develop a methodology for undertaking research into the impact that the programmes have on particpants health and well being.
- Undertake research over a defined period of time and analyse this in order to identify impact of the programmme
- To report on findings at 3 months and 6 months
- To contribute to a learning event at the end of the project –with final report and detailed conclusions.
Essential Qualities and Attributes
- Confident and articulate
- Energetic and outgoing
- Creative mind
- Problem solver and decision maker – looks for solutions rather than falling at first hurdle
- Organised and efficient
- Strong team player yet able to self motivate
- Quick learner
- A commitment to working with a community and to supporting its development
Essential Experience and Knowledge
- Demonstrable experience of project research and development
- Experience of working in a community and building relationships
- Experience of managing projects and people
- A strong understanding of More Music
Essential Skills and Qualifications
- Excellent communication skills both written and oral
- Excellent inter-personal skills
- Ability to establish and maintain excellent working relationships with a diverse range of people
- Able to work under pressure, meeting deadlines and responding to multiple-priorities
- Excellent organisational and IT skills
- Excellent people management skills
- Currently studying a PHD in any relevant Discipline
General Responsibilities:
- To comply with More Music’s code of conduct
- To comply with, and to promote, company policies and procedures
Fee : 60 days at £200 per day
Closing Date: 24th April
Start date : As soon as possible (flexible)
End date: TBC
Interview Date: TBC
For more info about the research pilot please contact fassplacements@lancaster.ac.uk.
How to apply
Please send a CV and cover letter for the job you wish to apply for as the title of each document to fassplacements@lancaster.ac.uk
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