More Music is a music and education charity in Morecambe, Lancashire. It supports people of all ages and backgrounds to build confidence and spirit through the arts. The charity offers a diverse programme of creative activity, local events, high quality live music and targeted ‘music for mental health’ programmes.
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About More Music
The challenge
More Music is based in the West End of Morecambe, which is in the most deprived 0.1% of areas in England. Many children and young people the charity works with face huge challenges, including hunger, fuel poverty, poor housing and difficult home lives.
Their projects have a hugely positive impact in the lives of children in fragile situations, using music to find hope and discover new talents. They’ve also been shown to help young people experiencing mental health struggles such as isolation, anxiety, low mood and low self-esteem, to grow in confidence and resilience through music-making activities.
The community is near Morecambe Bay, a place of great natural beauty and biodiversity that’s home to internationally important wildlife and habitats. But More Music has found that local children tend not to feel a connection to the bay or have a sense of its environmental significance. Like Morecambe itself, this unique coastal ecosystem is at risk from climate change and rising sea levels.
The solution
With young people becoming increasingly passionate about the climate crisis, More Music saw an opportunity to:
- engage young people in local and global environmental issues
- strengthen their confidence
- nurture their ability to explore and to lead
The charity achieved this by putting on a climate change festival. They applied for funding from the Energy Saving Trust Foundation and received £40,000.
A team of 12 young people will lead on planning and producing the festival over 24 weekly sessions. They’ll be supported to actively research climate issues and choose topics to focus on, following discussions with experts and trips to sites of interest.
The team will then identify artists, create their own music and artworks, and market and manage the event with support from More Music.
The project will also include 18-week residencies in two local primary schools, involving 400 children. Through a series of workshops, musicians and artists will open up space for children to explore their hopes and fears for the climate. This will also help them produce new creative work for the festival.
Throughout the project, More Music will partner with other local and national organisations that focus on nature, heritage and education.
Impact
The project is currently underway, and will culminate in a climate change festival in Morecambe for 2,000 people in July 2025. Its aim is to deepen children and young people’s understanding of their local environment and the need for climate action.
Taking part in the project will also inspire pride, build participants’ knowledge, and give them the confidence to advocate and take action.
Darren Leadsom, Education and Inclusion Manager, More Music says:
“The music industry provides an excellent focal point for our young people to consider climate change in multiple ways. They’ve been thinking about subjects including sustainable merchandise and clothing, the hidden impacts of touring, how people travel to gigs, solar-powered stages, locally-sourced food for events, how to raise awareness through songs, and stage music events which educate and engage their peers.
“Added to this will be the opportunity to learn more about the local ecosystem of Morecambe Bay and understand how the effects of climate change globally can be seen and felt locally. This project has already inspired them in its early stages and we can’t wait to see what they come up with for the climate change festival next year.”