A new initiative exploring how live music can improve health, wellbeing and community connection will launch in Sheffield during Tramlines weekend.
The Music + Wellbeing Initiative, created by Tickets for Good, will bring together academics, community leaders, healthcare and cultural organisations, policymakers and music industry figures to examine the growing evidence that access to live music can improve wellbeing, reduce loneliness and strengthen communities.
Hosted at The Workstation on Friday 24 July, from 12 noon to 4pm, the event will launch the concept of a long-term Music + Wellbeing programme coming from Sheffield, with the ambition of making the city an important national centre for research, discussion and action around the relationship between live music and health.
The programme will include contributions from Renee Timmers, Professor of Psychology of Music at the University of Sheffield, offering an academic perspective; Safiya Saeed, former Lord Mayor of Sheffield and founder of Reach Up Youth, bringing the community viewpoint; and Rick Blaskey, the Sheffield-born music entrepreneur and Wednesday fan whose career has focused on turning music into shared experiences, from crossover classical performances to anthems associated with major sporting events.
Stephanie Pitts of the University of Sheffield will discuss the university’s previous work with Tickets for Good on music and wellbeing research and preview new academic work currently being undertaken. Filmed comments from Dr Emma Risley and other contributors will also form part of the programme.
The event will feature an insight from Neil McSweeney into the Harmonic Health Hub, an initiative researching and promoting the integration of music and health to deliver measurable therapeutic and clinical benefits. He will also outline the ambition and progress behind Sound Works, a South Yorkshire strategic partnership bringing together the creative-audio sector, advanced manufacturing and sociological research.
The programme will also include a European perspective from Henk Schuit, who will reflect on more than 30 years in the European live entertainment sector and the current state of live events across Europe.
Two panel discussions will explore the social, cultural and health impact of live music. The first, “The Social Cure Has No Borders: What Sheffield Can Learn from Europe”, will feature Gérôme Vanherf, Managing Director and co-founder of ikii in Belgium; Tommy Vaudecrane, President of Technopol in France; and Gareth Deakin, a music technology and start-up adviser and founding advisory board member of Music Technology UK.
The second panel, hosted by Philip Slade, will ask: “Can Sheffield become central to a campaign that celebrates the power of live music to improve the nation’s health?” Contributors will include Steve Rimmer, CEO of Tickets for Good; Liam O’Shea, Community Music Manager at Rotherham Council and founder of Hope Works and No Bounds Festival; and Safiya Saeed.
The event will conclude with a live performance from internationally acclaimed violinist Iskandar Widjaja, described by The Strad as a “true force of nature” and by The Jakarta Post as a “rockstar”. A Berlin-trained violinist, Widjaja has performed at venues including the Berlin Philharmonic Hall and in Shanghai, with recordings released on Sony Classical. He has also created the Widjaja Method and runs his own academy, coaching the next generation of competitive violinists.
The programme will include a filmed contribution from Alex Deadman, Global Head of Communications at Tickets for Good, providing context on the organisation and its first collaboration with Tramlines in 2019.
In the filmed contribution, Alex Deadman said:
“Sheffield is the ideal place to begin a long-term conversation about how live music can support healthier, happier and more connected communities. We want this initiative to bring together research, industry and practical action to better understand the impact of live music and help more people experience its benefits.”
The initiative builds on Tickets for Good’s mission to increase access to live events for healthcare workers, charity staff, teachers and other people making a positive contribution to society. Since launching, the organisation has distributed more than 1.5 million tickets across the UK, Europe and North America.
The event forms part of the wider Fringe at Tramlines programme and is intended to be the first step in a longer-term programme of research, collaboration and public engagement, with the next Music + Wellbeing event already planned for Tramlines weekend 2027.
Music + Wellbeing
Friday 24 July, 12 noon–4pm
The Workstation, Sheffield
Registration is free, but advance registration is encouraged. Register here.
