Taking music into the community is a core aspect of the School’s vision and mission, and it is considered to be vitally important that the School’s work directly impacts the local community.
Evaluating the importance of music in the community is a relatively new aspect of research in the school, currently being development by Gwawr Ifan. Gwawr specialises in Music, health and well-being, and has a particular interest in the influence of community music on health and social well-being in Wales, and the use of music as social capital.
Current research projects focus on music and dementia in the local community, and the school is collaborating with Pontio Arts Centre to use artistic residencies in care homes located in Bangor as case studies for research. Funding has been received by SEMPRE (Society for Education and Music Psychology Research) to further develop this field of study, and to raise awareness of dementia amongst children and young people in secondary schools in the Bangor area.
The School is currently collaborating with local arts organisations to develop a new research project based on the international education programme, ‘El Sistema’, and also works in close proximity with the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, to further develop research possibilities for the future.