What is ‘Held In Sound’?

There is no expectation of musical experience. Participants are welcome to join, whether they are complete beginners or experienced musicians.

Held in Sound prioritises choice, safety, and respect, allowing participants to engage with music in ways that suit their needs and preferences.  

Projects Main Aims/Objectives (social and emotional focus)-

1. Create a safe, affirming environment that promotes emotional well-being through trauma-aware and neurodiversity-informed practice.
2. Foster a sense of belonging and social connection among LGBTQIA+ young adults through inclusive, collaborative music-making.
3. Support emotional expression and self-exploration through participant-led, choice-based music activities.

Why is it important?

Ilan H.Meyer (2003) suggests that LGBTQIA+ individuals experience chronic minority stress as a result of stigma and marginalisation, which can negatively impact wellbeing. This highlights the importance of creating supportive community spaces aiming to reduce isolation and support emotional expression. It is therefore crucial that there is support available to these individuals that reduces barriers to musical participation. The LGBTQIA+ community has been proven to be “nearly 4 times more likely to experience violent assault”, increasing the likelihood of experiencing the lived experience of trauma, with “48% of LGB individuals meeting the criteria for PTSD” (Valentine et al., 2025). As well as this, a recent paper by the University of Cambridge found a large link between neurodivergent people and the LGBTQIA+ community, with “autistic people eight times more likely to identify as LGBTQ+” (Clissold, n.d.). This means it is critical that the project models trauma-aware and neurodiversity-informed practice, which is not based on therapeutic outcomes, but instead designs conditions where wellbeing is promoted. The hope is that through prioritising non-clinical engagement, we foster an environment focused on peer-to-peer connection and create a sense of belonging while reducing the fear of marginalisation.

Overview statement of community group, considerations and needs-

Stonewall’s (2020) “Shut Out” Report notes that young people aged 16-25 are often shut out of education and employment into adulthood, highlighting the lack of support and guidance tailored to this demographic. To build on the need for inclusive and affirming creative and educational spaces for this group, the target community group for ‘Held In Sound’ consists of LGBTQIA+ adults aged 18-30, including individuals with a range of social requirements and emotional needs.

Participants may have experienced marginalisation, social isolation, or exclusion from traditional music education, impacting confidence, engagement and wellbeing. It is therefore imperative that the project uses an approach that is inclusive, flexible and responsive to individual needs. By doing so, the hope is that ‘Held in Sound’ will create a participant-centred environment where individuals can engage in ways that feel comfortable and meaningful to them.

LGBTQIA+ considerations (Identity, Belonging & Language)

As established, the community has faced consistent marginalisation, causing higher rates of minority stress, social isolation and mental health challenges (Ilan H.Meyer 2003). This may mean that participants require an environment that creates a safe space that promotes inclusion, respect, and a sense of belonging to feel comfortable engaging in creative activities and exploration. 

In practice, this will involve:

• Using inclusive language and respecting names and pronouns
• Establishing clear group agreements around respect and confidentiality
• Avoiding assumptions about the experience of identity
• Creating opportunities for optional self-expression through music
• Ensuring participation is never forced or performative

Trauma-Aware practice- (Safety, Control & Predictability)

Participants may have a lived experience of trauma, impacting trust, emotional safety and comfort within group settings. As these environments can typically feel unpredictable or high-pressure, we aim to change this, avoiding discomfort or disengagement and instead inviting safety, choice and control. This aligns with trauma-informed frameworks such as The 2014 SAMHSA publication ‘Concept of Trauma and Guidance for Trauma-Informed Approach’ which use similar key principles to serve as a guide for systems to move away from blaming/shaming and instead towards healing-centred care. (SAMHSA’s Trauma and Justice Strategic Initiative, 2014)

In practice, this will involve:

• Providing clear session plans and structures, and clearly outlining expectations at the start of each session.
• Offering choice-based participation, where observation of sessions or the ability to opt out of an activity is always an option. 
• Consent-based language is always used (“would you like to…”) rather than instruction.
• Activities that require personal disclosure or emotional sharing will be avoided.
• Ensuring each session is closed clearly and consistently to support emotional regulation.

Neurodiversity and LGBTQIA+ overlap- (Structure, Sensory needs & Communication)

As previously stated by Clissold (n.d.)., research suggests a significant overlap between LGBTQIA+ individuals and neurodivergence, meaning some participants may experience additional barriers to engagement, particularly in environments that rely on social expectations or rigid structures. These individuals may have preferred forms of communication, sensory needs and preferred approaches to interaction. Therefore, the sessions need to be accessible and flexible. This aligns with neurodiversity- affirming perspectives proposed by professionals such as Dr Nick Walker and Helen Edgar, who state that the Neurodiversity Paradigm “demands accessible environments, autonomy to end ableist structures”. (Edgar, 2025)

In practice, this will involve:

• Providing clear instructions and predictable session structures
• Offering multiple ways to engage with activities and sessions (solo, parallel or collaborative).
• Reducing reliance on verbal communication or social pressure
• Allowing the use of headphones or sensory adjustments
• Avoiding rigid expectations of participation or interaction

These considerations directly inform the design of the project’s activities, ensuring emphasis on choice-led, consent-based, flexible approaches to music-making.

The Project’s Duration and Operations-

As previously stated, each week of this 6-week project consists of a 2-hour session with a closed group of 8-10 participants. These sessions will be conducted by a lead facilitator (myself) whose job is to create a safe and affirming environment for LGBTQIA+ individuals and create/lead activities using trauma-aware and consent-based approaches. This is then accompanied by a support engagement facilitator who will work alongside me to ensure all participants, who acquire additional support can engage in ways which feel comfortable for them, allowing for sessions to remain flexible.

Participants are invited to support the following principles, all of which will be outlined and discussed in the first session shown on the Scheme of Work (Appendix 1).

• Respect- everyone’s identity and experiences are valued
• Consent- participants choose how they engage
• Confidentiality- personal stories stay within the group
• Inclusivity- discriminatory behaviour is not tolerated
• Choice- participants can step back or observe at any time

Through the project, participants may choose to play instruments, experiment with sound, listen and observe, work independently or with others, all of which is supported and encouraged.

However, there is no pressure to perform or share at any point during the process. The project aims to encourage creative exploration in whatever way feels comfortable to them, building confidence and self-belief.

Each 2hour session will have a designated focus, but with different approaches, which can be decided by the individual to suit their personal needs and goals through the sessions.

Scheme of work- Appendix 1 shows a Scheme of work which highlights the focus of each session as well as the dates and session types. This was created at the very start of my project planning to give clear direction and a structured road map to the project for both participants and myself. This structure is imperative to ensuring that all participants have preexisting knowledge of the session titles and focus, which is important when working with neurodiverse individuals, as “it is common for autistic people to show preferences for order, predictability or routine” (Autism.org.uk, 2026). Therefore, the structure of the lessons stated in the scheme of work will not be deviated from to increase predictability and routine.

Session Plans- As you can see in both Appendix 2 and 3, each session will have a detailed session plan outlining the focus, date, learning objectives, materials required, a session activity breakdown and accessibility considerations. When planning these lessons, every week needed to follow the same structure. To start, each week will have 10minutes of ‘Welcome and Grounding’ which consists of gentle arrivals and describing the details of the day’s content, continuing into a 10-minute introduction of the session’s main aims, and reasoning. There will then be 2 starter activities, which are relevant to the session’s focus and look at individual objectives, followed by a 5–10 minute self-regulation break. The main activity then follows (around 40minutes in length), which combines lessons, skills and exploration that were discovered at the beginning of the session. To finish each lesson, there is a 10-minute optional reflection offered in multiple forms (talking, writing, sound-based or listening), finalised in a 5-minute closing talk briefly outlining the following week. The aim of these structures and each session’s content is to align with two of the projects main aims: ‘Create a safe, affirming environment that promotes emotional wellbeing through trauma-aware and neurodiversity-informed practice’ and ‘Supporting emotional expression and self-exploration through participant-led, choice-based music activities’.

For this portfolio, we will examine two of the session plans with a specific detailed analysis of Week 2.

APPENDIX 2

Appendix 2 ‘Lesson Steps & Activities’ shows a timed outline of each element and activity during Week 2. Both ‘Starter Activity 1- Sustained Sounds’ and ‘Starter Activity 2- Intensity Percussion’ are directly informed by Porges theory while also directly adhering to key neurodiversity accommodations previously stated. Starter activity one aims to focus on predictability, calmness and regulation through grounding, by encouraging listening to repetitive loops, drones and sustained tonal music provided through headphones. To execute this, there will be a digital file containing over 20 different audios that can be listened to individually and recreated if desired. The hope here is that each participant can find a tone, sound or loop which allows them to slow cognitive load and improve emotional regulation. This is then followed by starter activity two, which acts on regulation as release, catering to those who find rhythmic elements to release energy as a form of non-verbal expression. This will be achieved by conducting a “Intensity Percussion call and response” environment where people can explore different intensities, paces, velocities and rhythmic patterns, increasing physical engagement. As well as being rooted in principles of neurodiversity, a study published by ‘fronteirs in Psychology’ directly relates to this by exploring how patterned and rhythmic activities can act as an emotional container, safely releasing trauma exposure (McFerran et al., 2020).  The main activity of this session aims to combine both starter activities and teachings by giving them space to understand, listen and then create using all materials provided (shown on the session plan), either individually or in groups.

APPENDIX 3-

Another notable element of this project supporting participant wellbeing is that all important information relating to sessions shall be provided to students in the form of an information pack shown in Appendix 4. This will ensure that all participants have access to the details of the project, increasing predictability and awareness.

APPENDIX 4

Intention of Evaluation-

To gain insight from participants on whether the project’s aims are achieved and how individuals found the experience (both beneficial and challenges/issues), a questionnaire/survey Appendix 5 & Appendix 6 will be sent out at both the beginning and end of the project, which has the option to be anonymous.

As seen in Appendix 5 (the document sent to them before they begin the project), individuals will be asked what their expectations of the project are, what they are hoping to achieve, if they have any specific support requests and how they feel comfortable engaging. The aim of this is to gauge initial perspectives that we can compare to Appendix 6.

Appendix 6 shows the questionnaire which will be sent out after the project has finished. This reflects the questions asked at the beginning of the project, but from a reflective perspective: Were your expectations of the projects met? Did you feel supported? Did you feel able to express yourself creatively?  

The aim for this is to gather feedback to see what was successful, if aims were met, and what needs to be improved if the project is to continue.

Click here for Appendix 5 & Appendix 6

Green Gray Simple Survey Form A4 DocumentDownload

Business Plan & Budgeting-

Appendix 7 displays a budget plan outlining the expenditures and costs for the project to proceed successfully. It clearly shows that for this project to exist, a funding amount of £2730 would be required, with a 10% contingency bringing the total required funding to £3003. The hope is that this funding will be received from the Arts Council project grant (Arts Council England, 2025), which provides funding to specific creative and cultural activities that benefit diverse communities across England.

The required budget consists of pay for both staff through session and planning time, which is essential for ensuring staff are paid fairly for the work completed. This is backed by the musicians’ union, who state that the going rate for a music project workshop is “£285 in 2025-26” (Musicians Union, 2024), which is closely reflected in the budget per session (Appendix 7). The budget also includes all instruments, equipment and materials required to complete the project and allows participants to fully engage.  

If this project is seen to be successful, measured by the evaluation pre and post project, and there is demand from more individuals to get involved, then the aim will be to have Held in Sound become a 6-week project that runs weekly in different time slots for different groups, ensuring that demand is met and people who need access to this project have the opportunity to get involved.

If this is the case, then funding would need to continue, instruments would already have been purchased, and planning time for documentations and PowerPoint presentations would be reduced, decreasing the required budget significantly. Although planning and preparation funding would still be required, it would be far less, and the instrumentation budget after the first project completion would not be needed unless replacement or advancement is required.

APPENDIX 8 (promotional poster)

APPENDIX 9 (Logo)

Click here for BIBLIOGRAPHY

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