CONNECTING ACROSS DIFFERENCE - DRAKE MUSIC IN PARTNERSHIP WITH FURTHERFIELD.ORG

Public Performance of “The Spell”
1.30pm Friday 20th March 2009
The V&A Museum of Childhood
Cambridge Heath Road, London, E2

Entrance is free, please RSVP to christinejanssen@drakemusicproject.org by March 16th.

Featuring students from Arnhem Wharf, Beatrice Tate and George Green’s schools, as well as participants from The Roundhouse Project.

Drake Music has commissioned a team of outstanding composers, artists and musicians to create and direct the performance of a new work on the theme of Connecting Across Difference. A season of creative workshops with young musicians from mainstream and special schools in the borough of Tower Hamlets and from The Roundhouse Project in Camden will culminate on Friday 20th March with a live multimedia performance at The V&A Museum of Childhood.

Connecting Across Difference is inspired by visits to the Museum of Childhood and imaginative and playful explorations of the challenges and excitement of encountering and coming to know people who are different; who speak differently, have different ambitions, interests, skills and abilities, or who have different traditions and histories. These ideas are played out in the narrative of the piece, a journey unfolds where creatures from different worlds go on a musical adventure to discover new ways to talk and play together using old and new instruments. A sculptural installation provides a visual analogue to the new musical performance.

During the workshops students have used cutting edge assistive technology and custom made experimental instruments, as well as traditional instruments and song. This has been an excellent opportunity for young people of differing abilities and musical experience to be involved in the development and performance of the final piece, in unique and exciting ways.

The project blog www.connectingacrossdifference.net has made it possible for participants from different school groups to share their work in the form of images, video and sounds. This has enabled them to respond to and work with each others' musical ideas throughout the project towards a final performance that reflects their diverse musical enthusiasms and talents.

Connecting Across Difference features a mentoring programme for the project’s three associate musicians, providing opportunities to develop their skills and experience in a participation and outreach setting. Throughout the creative process, the associates have worked closely with their mentors and collaborated extensively with all members of the team, creating an environment for artistic exchange and exploration, mutual learning and development.

Commissioned by Drake Music

Directed and Produced by Furtherfield.org in partnership with Drake Music
Partners: THAMES, V&A Museum of Childhood, The Roundhouse

The Team
Director: Carien Meijer (ceo Drake Music)
Artistic Director: Ruth Catlow (Co-director Furtherfield.org)
Lead Composers: Kerry Andrew and Ed Farmer
Music Technologist: Nick Wilsdon
Media Artist: Nick Laessing
Associate Musicians: Melanie Clifford, Victoria Oruwari and Anya Ustaszewski
Mentors: Daryl Beeton and Lynn Cox
Project Manager: Miranda Peake
With the support of Anna Thorpe -Tracey and the rest of the Drake Music team

Funded by: THAMES, City Bridge Trust, State Street Bank, Richard Reeves Foundation, Helen Hamlyn Trust, Youth Music, John Lyons Charity, Richard Cloudesley Trust, PRS Foundation, Promenaders.

For enquiries please contact Miranda Peake:
furtherfield@drakemusicproject.org
07813 295919

For information regarding access to The Museum of Childhood please visit the website www.vam.ac.uk/moc/your_visit/access/index.html