Arness’ story

Refugee week, held this year from 16 to 25 June 2025, celebrates the resilience and achievements of refugees and people seeking asylum. This year, we’re sharing Arness’ story.

There are nearly 90 million people in the world today who have been forced to leave their homes because of violence, persecution and conflicts. Many of these are children, and just like us, they seek a life of dignity, freedom and safety.

Many will have feelings of fear, anxiety and depression that come with the trauma of displacement and the challenges of settling. This is where music can help, and this is where it has helped Arness.

Music and songwriting give Arness the space to build confidence and process difficult emotions

Arness is a seventeen-year-old asylum seeker who arrived in the UK from South Sudan entirely on his own. No family with him and no friends. All his life he’s been through a lot of hardships. As a child, he experienced homelessness and grew up without the support of a family. He continues to carry the trauma of this, as well as the difficulties of leaving his home country alone at such a young age.

Discovering his musical identity

Arness loves music. So when he expressed an interest in songwriting to his social worker, he was referred to music therapy sessions with Nordoff and Robbins music therapist, Arianna. Before this, he’d never written a song. Now, in each session, he and Arianna work on a songwriting project together – whether writing lyrics, creating a beat or recording vocals. Through music therapy, Arness has been able to explore this new part of his identity as a musician and lyricist.

Watch the video below to see Arness and his music therapist Arianna record his song ‘Street Life’ and talk about his music therapy journey.

A growth in self-confidence

In the beginning, Arness was quite shy and unsure during his sessions. However, music therapy has helped him to grow in confidence, both in himself and his musical abilities. Over time, he’s taken on the role of creative director, confidently leading the song-production and recording process during his sessions.

Arness has shared that this newfound confidence has extended into his everyday life, helping him communicate more easily with others.

A creative outlet to process emotions

Music therapy is a safe and creative space where Arness can process difficult memories and emotions. Through songwriting, he’s learned to express and re-frame these feelings. “It’s helped me sometimes like a therapy, you know?” he said.

Watch the music video for Arness’ song ‘Street Life’ below