SoundWaves: Growing with Little Voices is an exciting new three-year project that will support young children, Early Years practitioners and music specialists across Somerset and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP). The project will run from January 2027 to December 2029 and is backed by Youth Music, thanks to the National Lottery via Arts Council England.
Working with children aged 2 to 5 and the adults who support them, SoundWaves: Growing with Little Voices will combine creative music-making with mentoring and professional development, helping practitioners develop the skills and confidence to embed high-quality, child-centred musical experiences within their settings.
At the heart of the project is a simple belief: all young children deserve rich opportunities to explore, create and communicate through music. By placing children's voices, interests and ideas at the centre of the work, we aim to create musical experiences that are inclusive and responsive to the communities in which they take place.
The project will work closely with Early Years settings in areas experiencing social and economic disadvantage, including rural and coastal communities. Through mentoring, training and collaborative learning, practitioners will be supported to make music a meaningful part of everyday nursery and preschool life.
Children will explore songs, rhymes, stories and musical play, using digital recording tools to capture and share their own songs and vocal play. Their families will have opportunities to share songs, cultures and musical experiences that are important to them. Together, these activities will help strengthen connections between children, families and settings while celebrating each child's unique voice.
A significant part of the project focuses on developing an approach to mentoring within Early Years music education. Experienced music specialists will work alongside early years setting practitioners and trainee mentors, building confidence, knowledge and sustainable approaches that can continue long after the project ends.
The learning from SoundWaves: Growing with Little Voices will also be shared more widely through resources and guidance designed to support the wider Early Years and music education sectors.
SoundWaves: Growing with LittleVoices is led by Take Art in partnership with SoundStorm Music Education Agency and Somerset Council.
