Music In Hospices is a
creative arts
organisation
transforming
palliative care.
Heartbreak to Hope
The Music in Hospices Story
We co-design creative arts interventions for the palliative care sector.
Our world’s first three pillar approach for palliative care addresses inequality, access and societal understanding of end-of-life care.
With the creative arts at its heart.
THE THREE PILLAR APPROACH
We harness the therapeutic power of music to re-write the narrative of end-of-life care.
CREATING MOMENTS OF CONNECTION
It all began with the tune of ‘Somewhere Over The Rainbow’ played on a hospice piano by our founder, to his mother in the final days of her life.
Now we create moments of connection for hundreds of patients and their families in Hospices across the UK.
ALIS HUWS, HARPIST
Hear from Alis Huws: Classic FM 30 under 30, DECCA recording artist and former Royal Harpist to King Charles III on the power of Music in Hospices.
The Sun Will Rise Again
A poetry and songwriting project
In collaboration with Marie Curie, we spent 7 weeks working alongside individuals impacted by life-limiting illness at Marie Curie Cardiff. Through poetry, we explored the themes of life, love, loss, hope and renewal. Excerpts from the poems formed the foundations of lyrics for the song ‘The Sun Will Rise Again’ songs written and composed solely by individuals impacted by life-limiting illness.
The piece was performed y the Marie Curie community , Cardiff Arms Park Male Choir and students and alumni from the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama.
Built for Possibility
Create something you're proud of.
Whether you're just starting out or taking things to the next level, we have everything you need to connect, engage, and make something truly yours.
A World’s First Creative Health Partnership
Music in Hospices x Lang Lang
In 2024 we launched our partnership with The Lang Lang International Music Foundation with a special concert at Community Hospice, Greenwich featuring Lucy the Pianist and Britain’s Got Talent finalist Malakai Bayoh.
Watch the BBC Breakfast feature below.
LITTLE ELEPHANT VISITS THE HOSPICE
The world’s first children’s book on hospice care
The story behind Little Elephant
When our Founder, Joe stepped into a Hospice for the first time at the age of 21, he realised everything we knew about Hospice care was wrong.
Conversations he overheard amongst family members of fear, were replaced with reality: the Hospice was a space of community, shared humanity, light airy family spaces, manicured gardens, comfortable family rooms, delicious cafes with tasty snacks and vibrant music and creative arts.
People living as comfortable as possible, sharing precious moments with those closest to them.
The realisation was profound, not speaking about death, dying and bereavement as children makes us fearful adults. The cycle continues unless we have the resources to facilitate these conversations.
He set out to design the world’s first children’s book explaining terminal illness, hospice care, death, dying and bereavement using accessible and truthful language.
Little Elephant is based on lived experience, written personally by Joe and led by the community Little Elephant seeks to help.
Designed alongside leading professionals
Little Elephant Visits the Hospice was designed for the community by the community.
We worked with children, families, palliative care professionals, child psychologists and social workers from Hospices across the UK.
Bringing their ideas together, the book was written by our founder, Joe and animated by Get Better Books, specialists in children’s books for healthcare settings.
We made sure that Little Elephant’s journey represents the journey of all families navigating a diagnosis of a life limiting illness.
Child Bereavement UK Recommended
Little Elephant Visits the Hospice has been recommended by Child Bereavement UK, as an essential pre-bereavement resource.
Little Elephant is also used by Child Bereavement UK’s family supporter workers in conversation with children about life-limiting illness.
Compassionate community storytelling,
for the digital age.
HOSPICE
The world’s first photojournalism project for palliative care.
In collaboration with British Journal of Photography Award winner James Clifford Kent and BAFTA nominee Amy Newstead, Music in Hospices commissioned the world’s first photojournalism project for palliative care. For seven days, we captured portraits, short films and stories from Community Hospice, Greenwich to empower the voices of the hospice community and re-humanise the word ‘Hospice’.
HOSPICE (in one word)
A public health intervention using the creative arts
In collaboration with Prospect Hospice and ASDA, Music in HOspices undertook a creative health intervention to broaden public awareness of Prospect Hospice and the role it plays in community centred care.
Members of the public were invited to request their favourite song, played by our Founder, Joe on piano. They were then encouraged to reflect on what hospice care means to them in one word.
TOP 20 SOCIAL ENTERPRISE 2024 & 2025
DEUTSCHE BANK AWARD CREATIVE ENTREPRENEURSHIP
OUR IMPACT SO FAR
95%
Increase in patient wellbeing
170
Children’s Books Donated
6
UK HOSPICES
5million+
Reached through media & digital
500+
Families Supported
Our work is a movement of socio-civic engagement.
Collaborate With Us
Help transform Palliative Care.
