Hear Me Out

Last summer we made the decision to look for a new name, and today Music In Detention relaunches as Hear Me Out.

The past fifteen years, since we started our work, have been an incredible experience. During that period we have worked with thousands of people in immigration detention, mixing and connecting genres, cultures and communities.

But working over the last two years to push forward our plans, it became clear that with a change to our communications we could achieve a lot more. We wanted to build up a bigger audience for music from detention, and the stories of the people who created it. And we wanted to build public support for our work, so that we could bring more music-making to people in detention.

To do that we needed a new look. Something that would take the work we do even further. For the past few months we have been working on a new visual identity and website and today we're ready to share it with you.

We're still the same team with the same mission. Bringing music to people in immigration detention will always be our number one priority. Now, however, we have a bigger and better platform to play their songs, share their stories and raise more awareness. Together we create music, so what better way to understand what we do than to hear it?

We’re seriously proud of our new identity. Let us take you through some of the major changes…

A new name

We chose Hear Me Out as it speaks to our mission of taking music-making into UK immigration detention centres, and providing a platform for the people held there to share their music and life stories with the outside world.

Logo and ripples

The ‘H’ of the new Hear Me Out logo is our static component: uncompromising and geometric. It symbolises confinement in immigration detention centres. The ripples, like the soundwaves broadcasted from radio towers, resonate out from the centre of our mark, from its heart. They are a visual representation of the voices and music of people in detention, sounding out to the world.

Throughout our new brand identity, there are moments when concentric circles surround our logo. This celebrates how our participants’ and artists’ voices travel far and wide and can break through any boundaries. Our logo is a symbol of the people we work tirelessly to support - a graphic juxtaposition conveying that, despite their confinement, their voices are heard.

Stories

Our new website communicates directly and powerfully. The personal stories of people who have been in detention are brought to you in written and audio form. Beautiful new photography communicates emotion visually, while our new music player conveys it audibly.

Listen to or read the stories here

Music player

Our new website features a music player where you can search, stream and share songs made together in immigration detention, and you can keep on listening as you browse around the site. As well as audio stories from people in immigration detention, we’ll be curating playlists and featuring them regularly.

Open the music player

Getting involved

We wanted our new website to make supporting us that little bit easier. The Hear Me Out site has been designed to give real insight into the work we do; the reason, the method and the impact. And you’ll find donating quicker and smoother than before.

See how to get involved

The Drum

It’s now even easier to stay up-to-date with Hear Me Out. The Drum, the next generation of our newsletter, will bring you a regular selection of songs and stories from the inspiring people we work with.

Subscribe to The Drum

Please tell us what you think of these changes! Just email us at hello@hearmeoutmusic.org.uk.