Hackney based charity, Girls Rock London (GRL!) has issued free musical care packages to young people. They contain creativity and wellbeing booklets, craft items, and a GRL colouring book.
In the run up to the Christmas holidays, the care packages will be an ideal gift to young people, encouraging them to think about music regardless of their talent or expertise as well as providing inspiration to pursue music further for others.
Spreading positivity during the festive period is just one aspect of the charity’s aim to engage young people further into the music industry, while also seeking to draw focus to the benefits of music for our overall mental wellbeing.
The non-profit organisation prides itself in working for young women, trans and non-binary youth aged between 11-16 across the UK. They aim to break barriers that prevent young people from feeling welcome to create music, whether that may be due to being from disadvantaged backgrounds or confidence issues.
The charity’s music programmes for young people aged 11-16 and also for adults aged 18 and above allow participants to get to grips with songwriting, performing, playing instruments and forming bands with others, culminating in a final performance at a live music venue. The programme is available to all regardless of their experience with creating music, from total beginners to those with some experience in the field.
While the organisation offers young people the means to get involved with and explore the industry of music in greater depth, the programme also seeks to build up the self-esteem and confidence of participants through workshops. With focus on mindfulness and wellbeing for young people, the newly crafted wellbeing package offers a wide array of activities advocating positivity. From songwriting tips to recipes and body positivity tasks and much more, the booklet is excellent for boosting the mental health of young people and providing them with various activities to keep them occupied over the holidays.
Interweaving music and mindfulness has been particularly helpful for young people struggling with their mental health during the course of the pandemic. As restrictions have eased, the charity has organised more in person events such as open mic nights, allowing young people to further participate in live performances. The charity has enabled young people to use music as a means of self-discovery and to alleviate stress and combat other negative and harmful emotions affecting us on a daily basis.
Girls Rock London is part of the Girls Rock Camp Alliance, an international network advocating for more opportunities for youth to get involved in the arts as well as resourcing social justice organisations across the world.
