Aiming to support maternal mental health, early childhood development and family wellbeing, Lullaby Project involves new mothers working with professional musicians to write a personal lullaby for their baby. The Lullaby model was originally introduced in New York’s Carnegie Hall to support mothers in healthcare settings, homeless shelters, high schools and in prisons. Musicians are trained by a Teaching Artist from Carnegie Hall. Linked to a wider social prescribing programme, during the project, the parent is supported to write a letter to their baby, which forms the basis for a song which is co-developed with a musician and which harnesses the creativity of the parent. The songs is then recorded and given to the parent for their baby. Songs have been written in a number of languages, with a diverse range of parents taking part. The key objectives are to develop parental self-confidence and wellbeing, enhance child development, bring together communities and address health inequalities. The project now works acros
Liverpool and South West Yorkshire, as well as at sites in Wales. Live Music Now is working with the Institute of Cultural Capital in Liverpool to develop an evaluation framework. The findings from the New York project indicate an impact in terms of reaching families in need, building connections between caregivers and babies, enhancing the child’s language, social and communication skills.