NW stuff

things are going really well with our new extended team of associates. here is an update on this term and plans for next......

manchester camerata partnership 

10 creative sessions working with Dorin Park (SEN) and a Upton Heath (mainstream) schools. we produced a piece based on the elements, starting with chaos (!) into fire, earth, air and water. the children designed the set and costumes, created the music and worked with a choreographer to produce a fantastic show at the bridgewater hall. will circulate some fab photos and we also had a group of students from manchester uni who have filmed the process for free. big thanks to christine for making the epic trip, despite the mammoth engineering works train journey.....

newfield school

our first school in lancashire, we have delivered 11 sessions with 2 small groups of pupils and were due to have a performance but unfortunately it got cancelled due to bad weather. we recorded a short sound collage of one of the groups we were working with and i will circulate this to everyone when i get it. this school paid for all the sessions as well as gemma s traineeship on the project. they are also paying for us to deliver 12 sessions next year continuing gemma s traineeship.

merefield school

we have delivered some very basic teacher training and 6 sessions with small groups of pupils. the music teacher is leaving in december so we are hoping they will buy us in to continue working with them. gemma is meeting with the school before christmas to use her fantastic sales charm.

stockport CP

the prospectors are doing a gig at the moor top pub on sat 20th dec of original pieces and popular covers. one of the lyrics apparently goes something like 'give us your money gordon brown coz i ain t got shit' (Yaz Shafi). vicky continues to work really well as a trainee with a beginners group on tuesdays. the beginners group is definitely continuing and we will hear from stockport this week as to whether the friday performance group will continue.

sheffield uni consultancy

the disability support service are paying us a wad of cash to do some consultancy work to make their course and equipment accessible for a new student. this is something that drake music should look into advertising our services to uni departments. gemma is creating an eflyer so you can all adapt and use.

dovestones college

new partnership with an arts college who are buying us in to deliver 6 sessions from january.

band on the wall and gorton education village

amazing manchester venue are paying us to deliver a taster inclusion project in feb/march. following on from success in this, we hope to continue this in a similar way to the camerata project towards a performance as part of band on the walls re-launch series. this also links into a bigger bid with them to commission disabled and non-disabled artists and musicians to work together on a new piece to perform with Mr Scruff in 2009

futuresonic festival

we are working with futuresonic and full circle arts to put in a bid to awards for all for a creative project with disabled and non-disabled musicians and VJs working together towards a piece as part of the main programme at futuresonic.

useless eaters

we are planning to get going on fundraising for this in jan as the new staff at imperial war museum north will start. still options for making this a national project but up for discussion at the mo.

more schools work

gemma sent round an eflyer to loads of schools and we have meetings booked with 4 schools in jan. st john vianney in manchester are finalising their awards for all award grant to work with us to submit before christmas.

nw team training

doug is coming from bristol on 6th jan to give more training to nw associates which is great. musicleader NW have also agreed to match fund us £1K in the next financial year or to fund a symposium event for people working in our field. they are also supporting us with travel costs for volunteers.

thats it for now....... lis and gemma xxxxx