Our Impact
Finding Rhythms’ programmes use music as a unique hook, engaging individuals who may be completely marginalised from other types of educational projects for various reasons.
Our practitioners create enabling environments deliberately designed to help people’s wellbeing and confidence. Because of this, our projects help participants create more positive self-identity and think more positively about their futures.
Reports
Here is a list of our Impact Reports, outlining our achievements.
View and download our most recent annual reports below.
Historic Numbers
Delivered over 50 projects including working in 25 prisons across the UK
Produced 50 albums of original music and over 550 tracks
Engaged over 600 participants, empowering over 300 to gain a recognised award in Employment and Personal Development
Participant wellbeing stats
88% of participants said our project helped them to express their thoughts, feelings and experiences.
80% said working with us helped them regulate their language and behaviour.
87% said Finding Rhythms helped them think differently about themselves.
89% said they felt more confident about what they could achieve in the future after completing our course.
88% said they learnt more about working in a professional environment.
Impact measurement is carried out through a robust internal evaluation process assessing the scale of our reach, the immediate and longer-term impact of our music and coaching intervention on wellbeing and the quality of partnering organisations.
We know that our projects help learners to develop in three important areas:
Relationships
The challenge of creating music from scratch requires participants to work as a team, communicate effectively and respect each other’s contribution. The shared sense of purpose, tight deadline and growing recognition of each other’s strengths forges a sense of community and develops the emotional understanding that is needed for good relationships.
Identity
We give participants the chance to shine at something, whether that’s percussion, singing, rapping, lyric-writing or being a facilitator, and to take pride in achievement.
Employment
Our programmes help build the soft skills, supporting learners progression and employment related outcomes. Participants have the opportunity to gain a Princes Trust Level 1 qualification, which is twin tracked with the creative experience.
It was particularly nice to observe the learners being encouraged to take ownership of their compositions, having their opinions and wishes prioritised whilst communicating amongst themselves. This was connected to employability in a very effective way and the learners have told me that their confidence and optimism has improved during the time they have spent with Finding Rhythms.
Staff member, HMP Cardiff
Award Success
Finding Rhythms has won over 70 Koestler Awards for tracks created within a prison setting.
In 2021 one of the songs we produced with young people within a community setting won Best Original Track by a group at the Youth Music Awards.
Youth Music said the following about our work:
“Finding Rhythms have an excellent track record in supporting young people who face significant barriers in their lives to make meaningful musical, personal and social progress. Colleagues who have attended sessions led by Finding Rhythms have commented on how impressed they have been by the skill and professionalism shown by their facilitators.”
External evaluations
We have worked with renowned institutions to measure the impact of our project, including the RSA and Sussex University.
RSA evaluation on music in prisons
James Crabbe FRSA talks about Finding Rhythms and the importance of music education in prisons.
Sussex University Research
In 2019, Arabella Kyprianides, and Matthew J. Easterbrook published “Finding rhythms made me find my rhythm in prison”: the role of a music program in promoting social engagement and psychological well-being among inmates.
The study evaluated our work in UK prisons.
Results across two studies indicate that Finding Rhythms group activities and the development of a shared Finding Rhythms identity lead to a positive well-being outcome. Furthermore, Finding Rhythms involvement dissolves rivalries between prisoners and provides them with a sense of purpose that extends into prison life and beyond. We provide evidence for the social cure properties of the Finding Rhythms group and the music program that promotes social engagement and psychological well-being among inmates.
Arabella Kypriandies, Department of Security and Crime Science, UCL