Musicians in Health is an Arts Mid North Coast project initiated and managed by local musician and community arts facilitator Stephanie Sims, and modelled on a similar project by Arts Out West. Originally titled 'Musicians in Hospitals', the project received seed funding in 2019 through the NSW Government's 'My Community Projects' program in the Coffs Harbour electorate.
The pilot program trained local musicians to deliver musical experiences at the Coffs Harbour Health Campus over a six-month period. In collaboration with staff at the MNC Local Area Health District and local Music Therapist Bonnie Nilsson, an intensive seven-day training program was created specifically to educate the participating musicians on the role of music and how it can be effectively administered in a hospital environment to achieve greater therapeutic health outcomes.
During the pandemic in 2020, Arts Mid North Coast received funding for the project through Coffs Harbour City Council to deliver the program online via telehealth platforms and modalities (including Zoom) to a range of senior clients of the Mid North Coast Local Health District’s (MNCLHD) Carers Program in the Coffs Harbour LGA.
This innovative project is part of Arts Mid North Coast's commitment to growing work in the area of Arts, Health and Wellbeing. The program has the potential to be rolled out into other hospitals across the region providing new opportunities for musicians to work in healthcare settings.
