
2024 / HMP Standford Hill
Down The Rabbit Hole!
View / Listen to album
Since 2013, we have worked in over 30 prisons in a range of environments including youth offending, mental health units and general populations in both the male and female estate. Our sessions take a trauma-informed approach and are collaborative and inclusive, providing an opportunity for all participants to come together and express themselves in a positive manner.
We deliver 6 full day sessions where participants are challenged to collaboratively write, record and produce an original album of music.
Two prison vetted musicians will facilitate groups of 8-10 participants. They will bring all necessary equipment.
Music will be recorded and can be expertly engineered in-house to be published on Bandcamp, Spotify and CD. A listening party can be held with a small audience.
Participants can be supported to gain a King’s Trust qualification in Personal Development & Employability.
Interventions such as ours which inspire, engage and make participants believe in themselves and their abilities, possibly for the first time in their lives, while developing transferable skills and social capital, go some way in breaking the cycle of offending and shifting the narrative for people so they are empowered to make positive changes in their lives.
If you would like to find out more or talk to us about working in your prison, please email [email protected]
It's clear that this work is much more than just a nice idea.
Sophie Haewood, The Times
The work you guys do is invaluable to establishments such as ourselves. It is easy for us to get lost in the midst of OFSTED targets and recommendations and forget that there are many prisoners here who are incredibly talented. … The fact that you offer a qualification as part of the process only makes the course an even more rewarding and invaluable experience.
Mr C Gowlett, Head of Reducing Re-Offending, HMP Swinfen Hall
Being part of a scheme like Finding Rhythms, where they’ve got to work hard, where they’ve had to apply themselves, where they’ve had to complete a task within a set period of time: priceless.
Mr G Hawkings, Governor at HMP & YOI Isis
What a fantastic group of people Robin & his Finding rhythms team are! I was amazed by the dedication that Robin & his team had & the quality of music they produced with our prisoners was fantastic. I have never seen a group of prisoners so engaged in all my prison service career which is over 10 years long & this must be credit to the dedication, support, hard work & encouragement that Robin and his team gave.
Officer Ross Elderfield HMP & YOI Standford Hill
I was most impressed with the interaction between your musicians and the prison inmates which created a real team atmosphere...Such a huge benefit to the state of mind of those imprisoned....The confidence that was flowing from the room by the end of the session was heartening to witness.
Angela Harris, Ironmongers Company (funder)
I've been very isolated, suffering from various mental health afflictions for last few years so this was a good way to reintegrate with group settings and build my confidence so I will be able to apply for jobs in future.
Prison participant, HMP Thameside
I'm diagnosed with psychosis, which means I can feel left out or alienated. But in this group there's so much positivity, and the one main thing I've noticed is that on other courses in the jail it's like … everyone stays in their groups. This is the first course I've been on where there's been none of that. It's been one big group, there's been no arguments. On other courses, even if there's been nothing to argue about, because there's people in there from different backgrounds there's always something to start an argument over. But here, even when there's been criticism people have taken it on board and dealt with it in the right way. I haven't even heard anyone swear in here.
participant, HMP Rochester
Here is a selection of some of the incredible music that we have created in prisons across the UK.
A list of all the latest news about prisons initative.