How to end - part two : Twelfth Night at the Globe

Throughout the AllStars project, Alex and Jane have been running the Listening Lounge - monthly music mentoring sessions with a mixed group of SEN/D musicians and music students / Graduate Music Assistants.

This safe, small and exploratory group have been integral to the delivery of the project. Ideas for workshops have been investigated and developed. We've chatted, played together, and used all sorts of approaches to interactive improvisation.

We've invented games, written songs, experimented with graphic scores, art and sound, iPads apps, voices, and lots of surprising ideas.

This summer Alex has been in London a lot, as the drummer in the band for Emma Rice's production of Twelfth Night at the Globe Theatre.... ' the Summer of Love' season. We'd spent our session last month exploring drama and music, learning about the play, and impersonating the characters. Josh identified with 'Count Cappuccino' and Hannah, Sir Toby Belch. Lots of laughs, and some serious playing.

The Globe Theatre

The stage

It seemed obvious that our last Listening Lounge session should be a visit to the Globe Theatre.

a warm day...

So - off we went on the hottest day of the year!  It was an adventure, and a long day, but with Russ at the wheel it was a smooth journey.

a full house

Celebrity!

Our seats were in the upper gallery. We had a good view of the play and the musician's gallery and managed a couple of celebrity waves at the drummer.

The play, the music and the atmosphere were completely unforgettable. Lots of humour, with top class musicianship and singing from the cast.

As we drove back west we were treated to a spectacular sunset over Stonehenge and Salisbury plain.

A colourful end to a special day, and a vibrant end to a special piece of work.

How to end - part one : the Giant Jam

How to end AllStars music? Starting in the spring of 2015, the delivery phase has ended now - we will spend the next months reflecting, planning and evaluating - taking a breath before new things roll out.

Even in the early planning phase of AllStars we knew we'd want to mark the end of the work well.
Finishing can be difficult; it's one of the recurring themes of funded work. We knew we wanted to say goodbye with optimism and a sense of achievement.

We planned an end-of-project festival. With additional financial support from the Big Lottery and their perfectly-timed 'Celebrate' fund, we were able to put on an event that brought our community of young and SEN/D musicians together.

Beautifully put together by Ben, our pastoral support worker, and Jade, our admin star, the Giant Jam festival was organised in consultation with a team of party planners from the Heart Beats group.

Frome Street Bandits

Art Box bunting

The Gaint Jam was held at the Ammerdown Conference Centre - a beautiful garden alive with flowers and bees.
The sun shone all day.

Bands played outdoors and in the 'main stage room',  a transformed space with underwater decor borrowed from a local festival organiser and excellent sound equipment provided by our project partners SRYP.

The main stage room

A dance workshop, Loops disco and four live bands made it a real festival.
Festival goers enjoyed a performance from an inclusive choir, a ukelele workshop, a drum circle,  an art workshop, free massage, interactive storytelling from Openstorytellers,

Smiling gate crew

Relaxing massage

Live music workshops

outdoor games, wood fired pizzas, and an array of treats supplied by the brand new catering van from Critchill SEN school.

An outdoor improvisation workshop showcased the talents of the Heart Beats group and involved lots of new people too.

An amazing team of stewards and volunteers  made the day safe, fun and accessible for everyone.

Stewards and volunteers

We even got a slot on BBC Points West.

The Giant Jam brought all sorts of people together - it was inter-generational, inclusive and really enjoyable.

We're glad that the AllStars project, which has united so many diverse musicians, could end on such a bright note and a beautiful day.

What's the 'perfect session'?

Last Thursday our Heart Beats group gathered in Cedars Hall for the last session of the AllStars project. The mood was upbeat because we are all looking forward to our festival, the Giant Jam, this Sunday.

AllStars has been a long and complex project, involving many different people across Somerset and beyond. The Heart Beats sessions in Wells have been the core, with 38 sessions since Easter 2015.
Every session has been surprising, fun and different, and last Thursday was no exception.

In reflection, we agreed that it felt like a 'perfect session'.
As often happens, a few folk couldn't be there, but we had a good mix in the room, musicians with disabilities, young music students from Wells Cathedral School and Bath Spa University.

Everyone was relaxed, at home, and full of affectionate chat. Laughter ran round the room.
People choose their instruments with confidence and played them well. Listening was focused, respectful, and there was a plenty of considerate space in the music.
The dynamics of the session grew slowly from playful interaction to upbeat dance groove. The music grew and became bigger than the sum of its parts.

Most importantly, after starting the pieces, the music leaders could step right back and just play as equals. Everyone participated on their own terms, coming together to create a harmonious whole. The music took over.

We parted as friends and in the hope that we will all play together again really soon.
Thanks everyone! A perfect session.