Families in the heart of Birmingham will soon be hearing sweet music as Town Hall & Symphony Hall link up with their Ladywood neighbours to bring professional musicians to underused community spaces.

Families from across Ladywood, the constituency in which both halls are situated, will experience live music and workshops in a familiar setting before being supported to attend performances in the city's two landmark venues.

THSH and Birmingham Jazz will be working in partnership to introduce jazz to Ladywood residents through a series of music workshops led by professional musicians including New Orleans trumpeter Abram Wilson, who will be joined two young musicians from Birmingham Jazz Ensemble.

Residents will be supported to programme, host and co-ordinate a concert on their doorstep featuring performances from Abram Wilson and the young musicians alongside project participants and local artists. 

The programme aims to bring to life underused community spaces with musical activity, empower residents and encourage community cohesion, and engage families ahead of a visit to Symphony Hall on 5 November to see Sing Swing and Stomp that Thing - a free family event.  

Among the first supporters of the programme is BHSF, the not-for-profit health insurance and employee benefits provider whose head office is also in the Ladywood constituency.

Chief Executive Peter Maskell said "We are delighted to offer this support as part of our Corporate Responsibility Programme. We believe it's important to engage with our neighbours and we're happy to help THSH do the same.  

"The value of getting involved with the community in which a business operates is enormous and this could provide a huge area of support for the City's concert venues. It is vital that their neighbours understand the rich and varied range of music that is performed there and this project will go a long way to breaking down barriers." 

Andrew Jowett, Director of Town Hall & Symphony Hall said, "We hope this valuable project will inspire and encourage communities to come together, to dip a toe in the water and discover what Town Hall and Symphony Hall have to offer. 

"Our community engagement projects are designed to break down perceived barriers that might exist and encourage families to engage with our halls.   It's also an excellent opportunity for us to get to know our neighbours and build relationships with our nearest audiences.  The very welcome funding from BHSF has enabled us to get this pilot project off the ground."

Town Hall & Symphony Hall are managed together as a registered charity and depend on additional financial support to deliver education and community projects. Any company or organisation wishing to find out more or how they can help the charity's work should please contact Karen Daw on 0121 644 5075 or e-mail Karen.daw@thsh.co.uk

For more information about BHSF, please visit their website here: www.bhsf.co.uk