Almost half of young people in Northern Ireland have experienced a mental health problem. Northern Ireland has the highest suicide rate in Europe. (Independent News Article)
The Lydian MindHarp™ digital application was first developed by Mark Smulian and Stewart Redpath as a creative tool to enable people to engage proactively with musical sound.
The first custom application of the MindHarp available to the public is dedicated to serving the needs of people living with dementia and their carers. It has had a dramatic impact. Parallel to this has been the use of the MindHarp to address wider mental health and well-being needs. Pioneering work has started, working with students at the University of Bristol. More & more, it is being recognised as an effective PeaceBuilding tool. In Northern Ireland working with partners Beyond Skin, Lydianstream are developing the MindHarp further to create safe spaces, address poor mental health, economic inactivity, social exclusion & trauma as a legacy of the conflict. A Northern Ireland schools and youth groups programme is currently coming together.
Lydianhealth and Lydianstream director Mark Smulian has pioneered peace building projects in the Middle East using music & sound as dialogue in conflict zones and an educational tool to unite divided communities.
"It means that playing music either alone or together need not be the privilege of musicians. With a deep understanding of how music stimulates and releases hormones in the brain (the endochrinal system), music creation through the MindHarp™ becomes a powerful way to connect people. Music ceases to be a way to encourage dialogue. Music is the dialogue" - Mark
The MindHarp™ is about togetherness. It is welcoming, inclusive & clever technology that brings people into a safe place where they can freely express themselves and start a shared journey of healing & dialogue through sound. The MindHarp™ meets peoples’ needs in dealing with the past, nurturing a sense of belonging in the present and reducing fears of the future.
Since March 2017 with an initial investment from Arts Council NI & Peter Gabriel’s WOMAD Foundation, Mark collaboratively started working in Northern Ireland with Beyond Skin. Mark is also a member of the innovative international #ArtsDialogue team working with creative agents of social change in Ireland, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Colombia, Palestine, Israel, England & USA. Beyond Skin are the official Northern Ireland partner of Lydianstream regarding the training & delivery programme of the MindHarp.Contact us for more information info.beyondskin@gmail.com +447877756987
Moment dementia sufferer sings in French for first time in 10 years thanks to MindHarp: (see video below & read article)
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