Research News Last updated 30 July
BCU is teaming up with Lewisham-based charity Fairbeats to explore the experiences of young refugees and asylum seekers through music.
A core function of the project is to bring community organisations into greater partnerships with universities for a fairer knowledge exchange.
“I feel honoured to be leading on such a unique and valuable piece of research,” said Principal Investigator and Director of Education Development Service at BCU, Melanie-Marie Haywood.
“Having the opportunity to create a partnership with Fairbeats as a community organisation is important in order to decolonise knowledge production and platform the vital work community organisations do.”
Fairbeats will be delivering music making sessions for young refugees and asylum seekers, giving them a space to share their experiences and find new ways to make music making more accessible for marginalised people.
Kaia McTernan, Relationship and Partnerships Director at Fairbeats, said: “We are really excited to collaborate with Dr Haywood and BCU on this project.
“As a grassroots community organisation working alongside an academic institution, we’re hopeful their approach will help shape new ideas.
“We also aim for the findings to inspire change in both community music and academics spaces, sparking innovative conversations along the way.”
It’s one of four projects which are funded by the University of Southampton’s AHRC Hub for Public Engagement with Music Research, and is run through Southampton’s Centre for Music Education and Social Justice.
Dr Erin Johnson-Williams, Project Lead and Lecturer in Music Education and Social Justice at the University of Southampton, said: “We are delighted to launch these four amazing projects, which all use music to explore timely issues relating to social justice and public engagement.”
The projects will run for 12 months, culminating in a showcase concert at the BBC Hoddinott Hall in Cardiff in July 2026.
Find out more on the project website.
Photo credit: Fairbeats