Executive Summary How do partner-practitioners1 in the Music for Health in Morecambe project understand and communicate its value and why? This report shares findings from ‘Working Together’, an action research project designed by More Music and International Centre for Community Music (ICCM), led by Dr Ruth Currie. Working Together explores how partnerpractitioners understand and communicate value within Music for Health in Morecambe: a partnership programme of three music groups facilitated by More Music, an NHS Social Prescribing team, and local wellbeing organisations. The project aimed to explore how those working within a music social prescribing programme understood and communicated value. Understanding this was important because there is very little research into how partnerships in arts and health operate and collaborate towards shared health aims concerning their sectoral policies and partnership practices. We were particularly interested in this because we wanted to contribute to developing a robust and critical knowledge-exchange between the cultural sector, health and social care sectors, and academic partners to complement the wealth of research considering the possible impacts and relationships between music and health. Particularly, to understand the
4
processes of working together across policies and perspectives of music’s role in challenging health inequalities within the specific context of Morecambe. Doing so, to better understand the influencing factors on partnerships within arts and health and the role partners and practitioners have in driving place-based action in this context. Three questions guided our enquiry: •
What are the challenges associated with arts and health partnerships in Morecambe?
•
How does More Music work as a cultural leader towards developing partnerships within health settings?
•
How do More Music and their health partners communicate the potential value music might have within a health setting?
•
What is needed to ensure the project remains relevant and sustainable?
