Opening a new chapter

As our 40th anniversary draws to a close we are excited to announce that we will be working with André de Ridder as the Artistic Curator for our Winter Festival 2017.

Play: “recreation with the emphasis on the last three syllables”*

We’re all familiar with evidence that indicates the significance of play in children’s development – it’s recorded in policy papers, discussed in the media and even enshrined in Article 31 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. But what about the rest of us? “Grown-ups” are increasingly appreciating the importance of including…

The life of a piano

Have you got a second-hand piano in your living room? Do you know anything about its background before it came into your possession? Perhaps you know of a piano that has been passed through a family for generations, that has been played by musicians visiting the area, or that has been enjoyed by hundreds of…

What is London anyway?

Rebalancing our Cultural Capital, a report by Peter Stark, David Powell and Christopher Gordon, has opened up a debate about whether too high a proportion of public investment in the arts (through Arts Council England) is spent in London. The report paints London as the big beast, devouring hungrily the nation’s arts subsidy whilst the…

Lullabies and their health benefits

Research published this week by Great Ormond Street Hospital suggests that lullabies can help reduce pain. This tallies with the findings of our own work on the wards of The Royal London Hospital.  For the past four years, Spitalfields Music has worked with Vital Arts, the groundbreaking arts and health organisation for Barts Health NHS…