NW News & Updates......

The Prospectors Performance
The Prospectors, Stockport CP’s resident band, performed at the Stockport Beer Festival on the 29th May.  With a few new members and a good sized audience they performed an energetic and inspiring set of
classic pop covers and remixed nineties dance tunes. We are hopefully performing at the Mind Body Boogie festival in August, more details to follow.

Stockport CP beginners

These weekly sessions are continuing with more focus on individuals and their development. The participants have requested a performance for friends and family at the end of term.

Consultancy work at Sheffield University
We have been employed to provide some Consultancy for Sheffield University to enable them to make the contents of their Music and Creative Media course accessible to a potential student who has significant impairments. Ray has been trying unsuccessfully to access this course for 3 years.

On the 9th June we attended an initial consultation with both the student and staff to establish the physical barriers this student faces and current structure of the course and technical set-up.  We are now producing a report detailing the software and hardware needed to remove barriers as well as suggestions for adapting course material.  This report will include information on software/hardware costs and providers and research into the various options available.

Individual Support
A couple of individuals have approached us about using their individual budget to buy in our services to deliver one to one music lessons.  We have been booked to deliver 9 weekly sessions for an individual in Stockport starting on the 3rd July

Digital Beginnings
We are now working on a joint project with two schools in Wigan.  One school primarily deals with children who are autistic and the other deals with children that have significant physical impairments. We have started the 5 observation sessions and will begin delivering the sessions in September. We have funding for 2 terms and the schools are looking into finding funds via their connections with Wigan rugby club for a 3rd terms work. 

We Are Here

We are working in partnership with legendary Manchester venue Band on the Wall and Gorton Education Village with pupils from mainstream and SEN schools to produce a sound and mixed media installation in the school. The project will be based on a theme of 'Journeys and Maps', linking in with the schools' multicultural and multilingual intake. The six pieces created will focus on 6 geographic regions of the world:  China (SE Asia) and Africa, Carribean and Pakistan/India, Eastern Europe and Middle East. The project is lasting 2 terms and is entirely funded by Band on the Wall.

Re-mix

We are delivering our first project in partnership with local disability arts organisation Full Circle Arts. Re-mix is a summer project for disabled young people with creative workshops leading to a celebratory event where the work will be shared. If this project is successful, we hope to offer more music workshops from September.

Training

We are in the final negotiations with Music Leader NW who will support us with associate team training for this financial year. This should allow the NW team to have a few days training before term starts in September and to then meet once a term.

East Mid's in the sun! (for now...)

Hello... busy times here so just a quick update with what's happening now, more to come! Music Our Way which is a music tech course for older young people in the region is going really well with some interesting pieces of music emerging. Over 35 people have been involved so far and the project will end with a performance night in Mansfield at The Old Library in July..

Drake Music and Salamanda Tandem

Arts Work with People in Nottinghamshire Seminars

14th and 15th July 2 - 5pm

Dear Arts, Health and Care Professionals

If you or anyone you know is interested in arts, and disability work in Nottinghamshire do get in touch!

In order to contribute we would like to invite you to one of our consultation seminars:


14th July 2 - 5pm at Drake Music - Blue Water Studios in Ollerton, Nottinghamshire
or
15th July 2 - 5pm at the Salamanda Tandem offices in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire.

Its all about how we can help support and develop a fertile arts and disability practice in Nottinghamshire over the next few years. We have been commissioned by Nottinghamshire County Council's Arts Service, to undertake a consultation project with both experienced professionals and other artists who may be new to the field but are interested in reaching disabled people through the arts in Nottinghamshire. For development to happen we need to look at what the barriers are for arts, health and carer professionals working in Nottinghamshire - e.g. work opportunities, funding, volunteering, training issues etc and would therefore like to know your thoughts.

Salamanda Tandem and Drake Music are conducting the seminars, and there will be a series of focused questions to discuss. If you can't make either event but would like to contribute, we can send out the questions to you via email, or if you'd rather have a chat by telephone that would be great too.

Please forward to anyone you feel would like to make a contribution.

RSVP by July 10th 2009.

Warm Wishes

Shirley Novak

East Midlands Programme Manager Drake Muisc

Two Tick

Hello everyone,

I just wanted to share the good news that Drake Music was awarded in April with the "Two Tick - Positive About Disabled People" symbol to use with all our recruitment and publicity. This symbol is awarded by Job Centre Plus to promote organisations which comply to their 5 comittments. You can find further information about this here

This award is reviewed annually.

Enjoy the sunshine everyone!
Christine