New ‘Music in Unusual Spaces’ project brings live music to unexpected corners of our hospitals.

We are excited to launch "Music in Unusual Spaces" - a new strand of our charity's established and nationally recognised Air Arts music programme.

This innovative project will see our musicians performing in places they may not typically be found, including waiting areas, hospital entrances, corridors, lifts, gardens and canteens. By bringing music into these everyday spaces, we can reach people in times where distraction or a sense of calm may be needed most.

Live music has long played a powerful role across our hospitals - relieving stress, lifting people's mood and creating meaningful moments of connection. Our recent evaluation found that 98% of people strongly agreed that our music programme improves wellbeing, and 100% said they would recommend it to others.

With our Music in Unusual Spaces project, we are building on this success by going beyond wards and into the wider hospital environment - connecting not just with patients, but also with visitors, carers and staff who may be experiencing, uncertainty or upset.

Over the next year, our charity's team of professional musicians will deliver live music performances across hospital sites throughout Derbyshire and Staffordshire. The performances are designed to be flexible and responsive - offering uplifting, interactive experiences for those who wish to engage, while also providing a gentle and comforting backdrop for others.

Early pilot sessions have already demonstrated the impact of this work. In one instance, a gentleman grieving outside a ward area described the music he encountered as “magic”, highlighting the profound difference these unexpected moments can make.