Music As Therapy International - Project

We had people in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and Romania in the middle of our Distance Learning Programme when the Covid-19 pandemic hit. Although the pandemic unfolded differently in each country, it made it difficult and then impossible for them to continue running their music sessions. Having the flexible support of the Borletti-Butoni Trust meant I could give the participating practitioners the time they needed to weather school closures and other local restrictions and stress. Without this, I don’t think I would have been able to tailor my support in the ways that I did and shepherd the participants to the end of the course. I’m so proud of their tenacity and success!

Magda Pata, Distance Learning Programme Officer

The support of the Borletti-Buitoni Trust gave us financial security for our International Programme when Covid sent it flying. But it wasn’t just knowing we had sufficient funds in hand to be able to make the adaptations we needed to in order to continue developing the use of music for vulnerable people worldwide. It was knowing they were interested to understand how we were being affected, that they took up our offer of a meeting to hear what the pandemic had meant for us and that they trusted how we were adapting our activities to pursue the same outcomes, albeit in different ways.

Alexia Quin, Director

Music as Therapy International trains caregivers around the world, providing them with the skills, resources and confidence to use core music therapy techniques to change the way they care for marginalised, vulnerable people. Since the charity was established over 20 years ago, its focus on sharing the power of music has been proven to overcome boundaries of language, literacy and disability to improve communication and strengthen wider care practice. Their ‘hub and spoke’ approach prioritises supporting regional practitioners, many of whom go on to share their skills with increasing numbers of local caregivers in countries including Romania, Rwanda and Occupied Palestinian Territories.

A BBT Community Grant in 2019 allowed Music as Therapy International to continue to champion locally-led initiatives and set up new sustainable programmes in these deserving communities.

Read Music Therapy International’s Richard James’ BBT Blog, Adapting to ‘the New Normal’ here