Evaluation Title

Good Vibrations: Music and social education for young offenders

Type of evaluation

Data type Qualitative

Evaluation Focus Desistance

Key indicators Artform skills, Personal skills, Social and Life Skills

Project outputs Arts-based workshops, Performances

Methodologies Case Studies, Data analysis, Evaluation reviews, Focus Groups, Interviews, Participant observation, Pre and post programme measures, Questionnaires, Skills rating

Summary of evaluation

This evaluation looked at the project from the point of view of music education, identifying individual and social factors generated through musical development that also are attributed to desistence from crime. These were divided into two categories:-
Individual Agency:
Personal Identity
Diversity
Motivation
Hope
Self-determination
Personal strengths
 
Social Interactions:
Professional relationships
Peer relationships
Personal relationships
Sense of belonging
Ownership

Project description

This Good Vibrations project took place at Swinfen Hall Young Offenders Institute in December 2011. In total 19 students participated in the project; however the actual number in each session fluctuated during the week. The group selected for this project contained some very vulnerable young people. Some students had not been off their wing for a long period of time. Some were certified self-harmers whilst other
students were on medication, suffered from mental illness and many suffered from insomnia. All but one of the students were in Good Vibrations target group, young men:



Key Quote

The processes of musical development are shared processes with the development of aspects of individual agency and social capital considered to be integral to desistence from crime. Not only did the music allow participants to develop positive self-concept, communicate with each other and work together, through engaging in musical development, participants also engaged in personal and social development.


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