About Finding Rhythms
History
The charity was founded by professional musician Robin Harris after experiencing first-hand the transformative effect music can have on the rehabilitation of offenders in the custodial context. After several discrete projects, the charity was constituted as a CIO in 2013. Today the charity continues to work in prisons, and in recent years has expanded to support reducing offending in the community as well. In 2024, a studio space was launched for delivering one-to-one support to people leaving prison and at risk of offending.
The creative process in more detail
We deliver collaborative music-making courses for those at risk of offending, in a range of custodial and community settings. Our creative programmes are delivered by music professionals who develop participants’ confidence, self-belief and transferable skills, preparing them for a better future in society and supporting their desistance from crime.
Our culturally-relevant practitioners adopt a trauma-informed approach along with high music production values in order to empower participants. Alongside music-making, participants are supported to gain a King’s Trust (formerly Prince’s Trust) qualification in Personal Development and Employability Skills.
Our users and partners
We work with young people and adults at risk in various community and custodial settings. In a year we currently work with around 200 participants, which is split between prisons and the community. The majority of our participants are male, under 25, from minority ethnic backgrounds and have multiple complex needs.
We are engaged by partners usually on a short term agreement for one or two projects. Current partners include prisons (reducing reoffending/education & mental health), approved premises, acute mental health teams, and youth organisations. For Making Waves participants are referred by specialist referral partners at no cost to the partner or participant.
I'm diagnosed with psychosis, which means I can feel left our or alienated. But in this group, there’s so much positivity. This is the first course I’ve been on with no arguments or confrontations…we are all just one big group.
Prison participant