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Common Ground explores music-making together with refugee and asylum-seeker communities in York. Since 2023, the project has run a series of participatory workshops, festival events, and community sessions that encourage cultural exchange, co-creation, and sustained community engagement, supported by organisations such as the The University of York, Refugee Council, York City of Sanctuary and City of York Council, Refugee Action York, and research funding from the University of York’s Centre for Modern Studies.
The team behind Common Ground includes musicians Bethan Kelly, Laura Sutcliffe, Liz Haddon, Marianna Cortesi, and Federico Pendenza. Bethan and Laura are music graduates from the University of York working in a range of musical, creative, and educational projects, while Liz, Marianna, and Federico are academics and educators with experience in music education, community music, and research.
Alongside the practical workshops, Common Ground includes research components that explore facilitation approaches, group dynamics, and participants’ experiences. This research helps refine the workshops and contributes to academic discussions on music, community, and well-being. A research article has been published in the journal Music and Arts in Action, exploring co-facilitators’ perspectives on their experiences with music facilitation with refugees and asylum seekers. A central focus of the project is the connection between music and human flourishing. The project promotes music not only as artistic expression but also as a powerful means of fostering wellbeing, cultural connection, and community resilience. Through shared music-making, participants can express their identities, build supportive relationships, and experience the joy and confidence that come from collective creativity.
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