Social skills (Mindlift)

This introductory course is for people living with or recovering from a mental health condition. It explores the foundations of songwriting and music composition in a supportive and creative environment. You will experiment with writing lyrics, creating melodies and developing simple musical ideas using voice and/or instruments. Through individual and collaborative activities, you will explore ways to express thoughts, feelings and experiences through music while developing confidence in sharing creative ideas. You will begin to understand how songs are structured and start building a portfolio of original work.

This course is for people living with or recovering from a mental health condition. This introductory term focuses on building confidence through making music together in a welcoming and supportive environment. You will build on listening and respoding skills through music making exercises as well as exploring rhythm, melody and harmony. Youwill have the opportunity to try various instruments and experience making music in the moment together as a group. Through collaborative activities, you will contribute ideas to the group sound, develop self-expression and start building a portfolio of your musical learning and achievements.

This creative and supportive course is for adults living with or recovering from mental health conditions who wish to explore music production in a safe, welcoming and non-judgemental environment. You are encouraged to work at your own pace while exploring musical interests and expressing yourself creatively. Using the digital audio workstation (DAW) Reason, you will develop music-making skills, confidence, creativity and social interaction through individual and group activities.
Across three terms, you will progress from creating simple musical pieces to producing more complex compositions and sharing your work with others. At the start of each term, we will have positive, reflective discussions to set personal goals for future development, and then regular group discussions and brainstorming sessions, as well as listening to and celebrating each other’s work, all helping to develop communication skills, build positive relationships and reflect on your own work. In term 1, you will be introduced to music production using Reason. Through step-by-step guidance, you will learn the basic features of the software and begin creating your own original music. By the end of the term, you will have produced a piece of original music.

This course is for adults living with, or recovering from a mental health condition. It focuses on creating a welcoming, supportive environment where you can feel comfortable and included. This term, sessions introduce basic table tennis skills through simple, repeatable activities, with an emphasis on enjoyment rather than performance.
A consistent session structure helps build routine and reduce anxiety. Gentle mindfulness techniques, such as focusing on breath, rhythm, and the sound of the ball, are introduced to support relaxation and present-moment awareness. Social interaction is encouraged in a low-pressure way, allowing you to engage at your own pace.

This course is for adults living with or recovering from a mental health condition. This practical course explores grooves and rhythmic traditions from around the world, including West Africa, South and Central America, the Balkans and other global musical cultures. You will experience the power of rhythm through hand drumming and percussion and discover how rhythms have travelled, evolved and influenced modern music through migration and cultural exchange.
Working together as a class you will develop timing, coordination, listening skills and confidence while learning layered rhythms, improvisation and group performance techniques. The course promotes wellbeing, creativity and social connection through collaborative music-making, with opportunities to perform at the department’s end-of-year celebration. In term 1, you will establish strong rhythmic foundations through hand drumming and percussion, explore pulse, tempo, simple rhythmic patterns and call-and-response techniques inspired by West African traditions. The focus is on building confidence, listening skills and enjoying making music together.