Overview

Over 10 outdoor musical instruments from Percussion Play - including xylophones, drums and tubular bells - have been installed for all visitors to play in a pocket park in Charter Square, Sheffield.

The park celebrates the city's musical icons and aims to inspire the next generation to pursue music. It also features plaques commemorating Sheffield's musical superstars, aimed at inspiring players and sharing stories about local musicians who became famous.

The park was developed by ChangingSheff, a residents' association, and was delivered by Sheffield City Council. It is hoped the park will become a musical community hub and attract music-loving visitors. In the future, it's hoped that the park will be used for gigs and recitals.

Comments

Councillor Ben Miskell, Chair of the Transport, Regeneration and Climate Committee, said: “Sheffield has a rich and diverse musical history, with the city producing some of the world’s most successful rockstars. The new pocket park will give locals and tourists the opportunity to flex their musical muscles right in the middle of the city centre, encouraging visitors to the city.

“Creating opportunities to rest and play are crucial to developing a city centre that is welcoming to all communities. I’d like to thank ChangingSheff for all their hard work and dedication in planning the musical pocket park and working in partnership with City Council to see it delivered. This valuable new space will provide a musical haven in the centre of a city that has music running through its

Peter Sephton, Chair of ChangingSheff said: “This has been a five-year project to complete stage one – a musical feature in the heart of the city centre. The second stage is to see if the famous Sheffield homespun musicians and their fans will sponsor and dedicate instruments. The third stage is to use these funds to teach people how to play the instruments to the point at which they can make good music to entertain an audience.

“We are grateful for the Council’s support in achieving this new feature for all to enjoy. It is unusual in being capable of producing good music from a group of 11 musicians in the open air, but these instruments have been tuned to concert pitch to ensure pitch-perfect performances.”