Recovery looks different for everyone. For some people it’s finding the confidence to leave their room. For others it’s reconnecting with family, learning a new skill or rediscovering a passion that had been lost during a period of mental ill health.
At Cygnet, we believe recovery isn’t just about the treatment people receive, it’s about creating opportunities for people to reconnect with who they are. That’s the thinking behind Music 2 Empower (M2E), a programme that has grown from a simple idea into one of the most exciting recovery initiatives across our services.
Today, we’re excited to see our growing network of Music 2 Empower recording studios across Cygnet hospitals, with our newest studio now open at Cygnet Churchill.
These studios represent much more than music rooms. They are creative spaces where people can express themselves, build confidence, develop new skills and, perhaps most importantly, continue to be themselves during their recovery journey.
It all started with a simple idea
Music 2 Empower was first launched in 2019 after listening to the experiences of service users.
Time and again, people told us that music played a huge role in helping them cope with difficult emotions. It gave them a way to communicate feelings they couldn’t always put into words, helped them process trauma and reminded them of who they were beyond their diagnosis.
For many, music wasn’t just something they enjoyed, it was something that helped them survive.
We wanted to build on that and create dedicated spaces where people could not only listen to music, but make it.
That question has led us to where we are today.
Creating spaces that inspire
Our Music 2 Empower studios are purpose-built creative environments, equipped with professional recording software, digital production workstations, mixing desks, instruments, soundproofed vocal booths and industry-standard recording equipment.
They’ve been designed to the same standard you would expect to find in community recording studios because we believe people receiving inpatient mental health care deserve access to inspiring, high-quality environments.
Too often, healthcare spaces are viewed simply through the lens of safety.
Of course, safety is essential. But recovery is about much more than keeping people safe. It’s about creating environments that enable people to grow, discover new strengths and build hope for the future.
That’s exactly what these studios have been designed to do.
Designed with the people who use them
One of the things I’m most proud of is that Music 2 Empower has always been rooted in co-production.
Service users haven’t simply been asked for their opinions, they’ve helped shape the studios from the ground up. They’ve influenced everything from the equipment we install to how the spaces look and feel, ensuring each studio is somewhere people genuinely want to spend time.
One of the biggest inspirations for the programme was the incredible Cyber Saints Studio at Cygnet Hospital Stevenage, where staff worked alongside service users, including someone with professional music production experience, to create a truly authentic recording space.
That project showed what becomes possible when we design with people rather than for them.
It’s an approach we’ve carried forward into every Music 2 Empower studio.
More than making music
One of the most rewarding parts of my role is hearing directly from people about the difference music has made to their recovery.
I’ve met people who have written songs about experiences they had never previously spoken about.
Others have discovered talents they never knew they had, developed confidence to perform in front of others or learned production skills they hope to use after leaving hospital.
One former service user described music as “the heart of recovery”, explaining that it was the one thing that allowed them to escape overwhelming thoughts and express emotions they couldn’t otherwise explain.
Another spoke about listening back to songs they had written, saying it helped them understand their own life and experiences in a completely different way.
For someone else, songwriting became a way of overcoming isolation by connecting with others who understood exactly how they felt.
Stories like these remind us that recovery isn’t just about clinical outcomes. It’s about giving people opportunities to discover who they are and who they want to become.
A growing network across Cygnet
We’re excited that Music 2 Empower continues to expand across our organisation.
Following the opening of our first dedicated Music 2 Empower hubs at Cygnet Hospital Bierley and Cygnet Bury Hudson, we have continued investing in studios across our hospitals, with our newest recording studio now open at Cygnet Churchill and others to follow at Cygnet Hospital Kewstoke, Cygnet Hospital Sheffield and Cygnet Hospital Maidstone.
As more studios open, we’re creating a connected network of creative spaces that will allow even more people to experience the benefits of music during their recovery.
Each new studio represents another investment in recovery, co-production and innovation. It’s about recognising that everyone has strengths, talents and aspirations, regardless of where they are in their mental health journey.
It’s also about challenging perceptions of what mental health care can look like.
Recovery doesn’t stop because someone is admitted to hospital. Neither should opportunities to learn, create and express yourself.
I’m incredibly proud of what colleagues and service users have achieved together through Music 2 Empower, and I’m excited to see what comes next as more people discover the confidence, connection and hope these studios can help unlock.
Sometimes recovery starts with a conversation. Sometimes it starts with a song. Thanks to Music 2 Empower, more people than ever have the space to find their voice.