SME Partner

Clare Lovett, Spitialfields Music

Academic Partner

Professor Jane Wills, Queen Mary University of London

Project Title

Making community through music in Spitalfields, London

Project Description

Since 1976 Spitalfields Music has been bringing together world class artists and local people from one of the most unique and creative corners of London. As a community-based music-making organisation their focus is to create a sense of community and reinforce positive relationships with area. Pairing with Queen Mary University of London this collaboration sought to explore the impact Spitalfields Music has had, producing data and research that would help shape future directions and policies.

In order to achieve this Professor Jane Wills worked with Clare Lovett to assess the experience of participants involved in two of Spitalfields Music’s projects, a new multi-faith male voice choir and the primary school based TakeOver festival. In order to build a base of information to work from the collaboration employed a variety research techniques, including the analysis of existing records, social surveys and participants observations. In addition to this Wills organised interviews with at least 30 participants, such as teachers and parents, and six months later conducted follow up interviews with a smaller selected group.

Monthly meetings between Wills and Lovett proved extremely important in the project’s development, allowing the exchange of practical information and the development of ideas. These sessions proved so successful that Spitalfields Music’s Learning and Participants department has subsequently employed the format.

The project concluded with the publication of a report which provides empirical data proving the relation between community music projects and the development of placemaking and community spirit. The report will be used by Spitalfields Music to further improve their activities and evaluation systems.

Photo Credit: James Berry