By Caroline Hoile

I write and compose musicals and songs for primary and early years children which are performed in schools all over the UK and across the world. They’re mainly published by Grumpy Sheep Music.

I’m currently writing a children’s musical for primary school children which I hope will help raise awareness and increase understanding about the plight of refugees and migrants forced to leave their homes.

The musical is being written with an engaging storyline and songs that will be appealing to children. It will sympathetically cover issues surrounding refugees and migration – but in a way that children can absorb and understand – and will provide accessible starting points for meaningful discussions with children. There will also be lots of fun with acting, singing and dancing!

I’m very much hoping that a performance of the musical can be organised to take place during the 2017 Platforma Festival. (It would also be great to have other performances taking place simultaneously around the UK then, too!)

But that’s looking ahead! As a preview of the musical I’m preparing one of the songs to showcase for Refugee Week 2016. It’ll be ideal for children in primary school to sing – Grumpy Sheep songs, which come with backing tracks, are always catchy and easy to learn. (And although they’re written for 4-11 year olds adults are often found singing them too!)

The song is now available to download: http://www.grumpysheep.com/shop/product/44/xs-one-world-to-share-a-song-for-refugee-week

So if you teach primary school children – or are involved with any choir, singing group or organisation where members are young at heart and enjoy singing – and would like to take part in performing the world premiere of this song during Refugee Week 2016, please just email music@grumpysheep.co.uk to register your interest.

We’ll then be in touch with further details and to let you know exactly when the song is available to download from the website. (www.grumpysheep.com)

Here’s an example of some of our work: