I am a freelance artist and creative practitioner using songwriting as a way to connect with and empower people. I work with people on the margins of society, whose voices are often ignored. I want my work to amplify working class voices. I especially love to work with those who have never written a song before. Songs are great vehicles for exploring topics like history, place and identity. I approach sessions with a sense of joy, adventure and playfulness. The songs we write are often performed, sometimes recorded or played in galleries and museums. My work has been commissioned by prominent arts organisations, national museums and charities. I've been resident songwriter in a museum and have run songwriting sessions in schools, care homes, prisons and homeless day centres. I have worked on all kinds of projects. You can hear some of my work at https://matthillsongwriter.com/project-workHere's 7 of my favourites1) Writing medieval chants and hymns with people who've experienced homelessness2) Taking museum objects into prison and then writing songs about them3) Writing songs with school children inspired by artwork in a gallery4) Writing lullabies over the phone with isolated older adults during lockdown5) Singing Protest Songs with babies and toddlers6) Creatively exploring the memories of people with dementia using music and songs7) Songwriter residency in a museum - giving new life to the collection through songsI have a person-centred approach that is rooted in my background as a charity professional with over 20 years’ experience in the disability sector, where I specialised in communications, campaigns and engagement with service users/beneficiaries. My own work as a singer-songwriter has seen me release several albums and tour across the UK and Europe. My career highs include an appearance with Billy Bragg at Glastonbury Festival, national radio play on BBC6 music and I’ve even sung one of my songs on BBC TV’s ‘Flog it’!