It’s already that time of year again, and we’re not talking about Christmas. As regular as clockwork, we’ve once again manufactured the annual Plugin CD for Quench Arts.

Plugin is a creative music and wellbeing project for young people in Birmingham and Coventry aged 12-25 who face barriers to music-making due to being mental health inpatients.

Plugin uses accessible music technology to develop young people’s skills and creativity. The project aims to build participants’ self-esteem, help them connect with others and encourage them to express their feelings and emotions through music. It also aims to build the skills and confidence of setting staff and emerging music leaders in providing creative music-making opportunities for young people with mental health conditions.

Plugin has been based in 4 settings across Birmingham and Coventry this year: Ardenleigh FCAMHS, The Priory Woodbourne Hospital, Birmingham Children’s Hospital’s Parkview Clinic and Cygnet Joyce Parker Hospital. Thank you to staff at all settings who have supported project activity alongside our project team.

The Plugin project and this CD is very generously funded by Youth Music, registered charity no 1075032, with match support from settings and from Birmingham Music Education Hub (Services For Education).