Cultural Education Award Winners
Tuneful Chatter
Winners of the Inspirational Local Partnership Award in 2024
Tuneful Chatter is a partnership initiative involving darts (Doncaster Community Arts), CAST Theatre and City of Doncaster Council's Early Years Inclusion Team.
The project works to redress the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and existing local inequalities on Doncaster’s 0-5 year olds and their families; responding to both national and local research highlighting widespread delays in very young children’s communication, social and emotional development.
32% of Doncaster's children live in povery.
By 2024, the programme had seen 10 dance, drama and music professionals collaborate with 12 Early Years specialists, targeting interventions towards areas of specific deprivation and ‘at risk’ groups.
Sessions are held across a wide range of community hub venues, using movement, music and singing to build language and communication skills in children. The sessions also support parents and carers to play an active role in their child’s development and foster a wider sense of connection and community.
"Children generally are about a year behind... in behaviour and listening skills and personal social and emotional development. This makes their learning and development more difficult."
Doncaster-based Early Years Practitioner
Making a difference
Project resources
-
3 Partner organisations
-
12 Early Years staff
-
10 Arts practitioners
Project reach
-
222 sessions delivered
-
10 local venues
-
3,200 session attendances
"He seems to be growing in more ways than one – he’s interacting more, his speech is coming on… Stainforth doesn’t have a lot, and I’m so grateful Tuneful Chatter is here."
Carer of child attending Tuneful Chatter
"I’ve worked in nursery 15-20 years. This year I could see a massive difference in communication, language and PSED."
Doncaster-based Early Years Practitioner
