Charity founder Ben Buddy Slack
A songwriting project for people at the end of life is now available through a virtual platform.
The Swan Song Project is a Yorkshire charity that helps people facing the end of their lives as well as those dealing with bereavement to write and record their own original song. The project was founded in 2017 by songwriter Ben Buddy Slack at Marie Curie Hospice in Bradford. It has since expanded its work to St Gemma’s Hospice and Wheatfields Hospice in Leeds, as well as building partnerships with other local organisations.
Over 60 people have taken part so far, using the project to express themselves through song. They are primarily patients at local hospices dealing with various stages of terminal illness, as well as loved ones dealing with bereavement. Ben was inspired to start the charity after losing his grandmother and regretting not recording her singing.
At the start of lockdown the charity had to halt its sessions, but it’s now offering its service virtually over Zoom. Founder and Creative Director Ben Buddy Slack said: “I’m really pleased to be able to start working with people again. A lot of people will be dealing with difficult and complicated forms of grief during this time and we want to be able to support them. Being able to deliver our service virtually also means we can work with a greater number of people and from a wider region”
The Swan Song Project offers full support through the songwriting and recording process through video calls which last no longer than 1 hour. The charity has also recently started a podcast featuring songwriters talking about their processes and their experiences of bereavement, among them Frank Turner and Kyla Brox.
For more information visit The Swan Song Project
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