Caitlin Mayall is a Leeds-based folk singer-songwriter, early years music specialist and founder of Music at Heart. Her work brings together folk music, motherhood, community singing and participatory arts practice, with a particular focus on maternal experience, early years connection and nature-based creativity.

MOTHERTIDE:

folk music, motherhood and collective creation

‘From Little Seeds’ – print by Nicole Revy

MOTHERTIDE is a new folk concept album and community arts project, developed through song circles, collaborative workshops, storytelling and shared vocal work. At the centre of the work is the myth of Mother Tide — a feminine force governing the tides of birth, life and death.

Demo recording: Mothertide

Community roots and need

MOTHERTIDE grows from Caitlin’s work with Music at Heart, an early years music organisation in Leeds reaching around 85 families each week and more than 250 families over the last four years.

Around 30–40% of families currently access free or subsidised places, including mothers experiencing isolation, financial hardship, postnatal mental health challenges and SEND.

Recent consultation showed:

94% of families rated their child’s enjoyment highly

89% felt Music at Heart was very accessible

92% felt it was very inclusive

“This has been a life-altering class… I was suffering with postnatal depression and felt supported to recover.”

Across the project:

20 Mother Nature Song Circles for mothers with babies
6 full-day creative workshops combining song, storytelling and visual art
collaborative recording sessions with professional musicians
bespoke artwork by Nicole Revy
a family-friendly album launch at Left Bank Leeds
livestreaming and digital sharing through Manto Films

Collaborators

The project brings together musicians and artists working across folk, classical, jazz, visual art and creative work with mothers and families:

Niamh Flynn – harp

Ellie Lewis – cello

Andreas W Andersson – saxophone

Brendan Bache – percussion

Elle Weaver – viola

Barkley McKay / Valley Wood Studio – recording, mixing and mastering

Nicole Revy – bespoke relief print artwork

Bryony Pritchard – sculpture, mixed media and mother-centred creative facilitation

Developing Your Creative Practice (DYCP)

In 2024–25, Caitlin was supported through Arts Council England’s DYCP programme (‘Heartstrings’), exploring folk instrumentation, collaborative arrangement and contemporary folk songwriting — creative development that directly shaped the musical language of MOTHERTIDE.

Preview recording: Heartstrings

Both recordings were made at Valley Wood Studio, Leeds, in November 2025, featuring Caitlin Mayall (piano & voice), Niamh Flynn (harp) and Ellie Lewis (cello). These sessions were supported through Arts Council England’s Developing Your Creative Practice programme.

For Arts Council England assessors

This page brings together audio examples, visual references, community evidence and supporting material for Caitlin Mayall’s National Lottery Project Grants application for MOTHERTIDE. The application itself contains the full project plan, budget, timeline, partners and safeguarding information.