Tag: showcase

YOUNG PEOPLE TACKLE DISABILITY PREJUDICE AND THE CLIMATE CRISIS AT MANCHESTER LITERATURE FESTIVAL 2022

creative connection Manchester and Salford

YOUNG PEOPLE TACKLE DISABILITY PREJUDICE AND THE CLIMATE CRISIS AT MANCHESTER LITERATURE FESTIVAL 2022

On Friday 21 October 2022, creative:connection brought together children with and without disabilities in Manchester and Salford for an inspiring environment-themed music showcase at Manchester Central Library, as part of Manchester Literature Festival.

“SEEING THE WAY THEY INTERACT THROUGHOUT THE WEEK TRANSFORM… FOR ME, THAT’S WHERE THE MAGIC IS.”

Mike Poyser, create musician

Did you know that four in 10 parents of children with disabilities reported that their child ‘rarely’ or ‘never’ has the opportunity to socialise with non-disabled children?

Did you know that two-thirds of the British public feel uncomfortable when talking to disabled people?

creative:connection is our award-winning project tackling disability prejudice. The project brings children from special and mainstream schools together through collaborative creativity to encourage increased understanding about people with disabilities. Now in it’s seventh year, creative:connection in Manchester and Salford brought together 61 young people from four schools – Brentwood High School and Community College, Chatsworth High School, Loreto High School and New Park Academy – to connect over a shared concern – the climate emergency. Participants took part in four days of creative music workshops with Create musicians Bethan Roberts, Holly Marland, Matt Dunn and Mike Poyser, before coming together for a public Showcase during Manchester Literature Festival.

creative connection Manchester and Salford
Participant performing a solo.

“STOP CLIMATE CHANGE, ACTION PLEASE!”

Participants wrote, composed and rehearsed original pieces of music, paying homage to what they love about our planet, as well as addressing the issues it faces. One original piece entitled “Blah Blah Blah”, which samples Greta Thunberg’s famous speech, ends with a powerful chant. The performers left the audience feeling moved as they demanded “Stop climate change, save the bees! Stop climate change, action please!”

creative:connection Manchester and Salford tackling disability prejudice and the climate
creative:connection Manchester and Salford

Create musician Mike Poyser said “I think it’s really important that we look at things that are positive, rather than scaremongering. This week we’ve looked at how we really like animals, clean water, clean oceans and clean seas. We’ve decided we don’t like littering and we like recycling. Things like that are really important for children because it enables them to go and do those things. There’s very little point in panicking and saying we need to stop using so many fossil fuels, because there’s not much a child can do about that, but we can pick up litter, and we can ride our bikes to school.”  

a safe space to connect

creative:connection brings children from different backgrounds together, providing a safe space for them to work collaboratively, explore their creativity, build relationships and grow in confidence.

“I CAN DO MORE THAN I COULD BEFORE, DUE TO WORKING WITH OTHERS.”

creative:connection participant


The project seeks to break down barriers between disabled and non-disabled children. As lead musician on the project, Mike saw these relationships develop first-hand. He said “Watching the schools get used to working together is one of the main points of the whole project. The students try to help and support each other and that’s the joy of it all. If we had a project where we just made some nice music it wouldn’t be quite so exciting as seeing the way they interact throughout the week transform. For me, that’s where the magic is.”

creative connection Manchester and Salford
Participant playing the bongos during showcase.

Miriam Wild, Children and Young People’s Programme Producer at Manchester Literature Festival, said “For the past [few] years we’ve been working in partnership to deliver a festival event and it’s been amazing. We are always absolutely blown away by what Create manage to achieve in just a week with the four schools that they work with. It’s a great addition to our programme. Inclusive work is really important to us and [this project] truly is that.”  

“I FEEL HAPPIER DUE TO THE HAPPY ENVIRONMENT.”

creative:connection Participant

TAKING CREATIVITY HOME

Liam*, a student from New Park Academy, a school for children with social, emotional and/or mental health difficulties, shared his experience on the project. “I find it fun being creative, making a song and playing it. I’ve learned on the project that I’m very talented at playing guitar. Sadie [Chatsworth lead] gave me a guitar. It felt amazing because now I’ve got one, I’ve got a book to learn [from] and I can play all I want. I see a lot of potential in the guitar. The Chatsworth group are really talented people too. I’ve learnt that not only a few people are talented.”

Nicky Goulder, Create Founding CEO, said: “It has been so uplifting to see these incredible young people work together to create and then present such a powerful Showcase. The participants threw themselves into the project with open minds and enthusiasm, and the results are incredible. Hearing them create music about the issues our planet faces was deeply moving and a reminder that young voices can have such power. They are the future. A huge congratulations on their achievement, and thank you to Manchester Central Library, Manchester Literature Festival, and our project funders, The Harold Hyam Wingate Foundation and The Tana Trust.”  

*Name changed to protect anonymity.

creative connection Manchester and Salford

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SPECIAL NEEDS SCHOOLCHILDREN IN HARROW UNITE FOR INSPIRING MUSIC SHOWCASE

environment matters harrow SEND showcase

SPECIAL NEEDS SCHOOLCHILDREN IN HARROW UNITE FOR INSPIRING MUSIC SHOWCASE

environment matters harrow SEND showcase
SEND environment:matters participants perform a song they composed about the environment

On Wednesday 21 September, our environment:matters project in Harrow culminated in an inspiring musical showcase at Harrow Arts Centre.

Children from three special schools performed original pieces of music, composed and written alongside Create’s professional musicians during a project funded by The Atherton Family Charitable Trust.

environment:matters is our project providing SEND children in London and Manchester with access to high-quality, collaborative creative arts workshops exploring the theme of “the environment”. The project uses music and other artforms to help participants understand the climate crisis, how their own actions might affect the environment, and how they can help bring about change.

“i LEARNT THAT WE SHOULD RECYCLE!”

PARTICIPANT

the power of music

This latest strand of the project took place in Harrow, with students from Alexandra School, Shaftesbury High School and Woodlands School teaming up with professional musicians Paul Griffiths, Mike Poyser and Filipe Sousa. Under expert guidance, the children wrote original songs about the environment, which they performed in a showcase at Harrow Arts Centre.

Simon Lewis, Performing Arts Lead at Shaftesbury High School, shares why creativity for children with SEN is so important.

One participant (12) from Shaftesbury High School, said: “The project made me feel happy. I enjoyed the instruments, and that everyone was in beat with the music. The environmental theme was amazing. I learnt that we should not be using plastic, and that we should recycle.” 

Another participant from Alexandra School enjoyed the environmental theme too, and said: “We sang about swimming in the sea. I love the ocean. Paul [Griffiths] is such a good music maker and singer. I liked writing music. Singing makes me a little bit nervous but I feel happy!”

environment matters harrow SEND showcase
Create artist Paul Griffiths performing with environment:matters participants in Harrow

Many proud parents attended the final showcase, eager to see what their children had created. One mother said: “My daughter is taking part in the Create project today and I’m excited to see her perform. She loves being creative, she loves art, she loves music. Creativity helps her to imagine and it takes her to a different world, away from the pressure.”

Why is this project important?

The climate emergency affects us all, and everyone deserves to have a voice on this important topic. environment:matters ensures that SEND young people can learn about and discuss environmental issues, expressing their opinions through the creative arts.

2020 UNHCR General Assembly concluded that “Economically, institutionally and socially marginalised people are less resilient in the face of the adverse effects of climate change. This particularly applies to an estimated one billion persons with disabilities worldwide. They often have the least capacity to adapt to climate change, while being virtually ignored in preparation and response measures.”

SEND environment:matters participants perform a song they composed about the environment

Simon Lewis, Performing Arts Teacher at Shaftesbury High School, said: “It’s really important to inform and empower young people with special educational needs about the real issues they face as human beings in today’s world. This project has got all of our students, regardless of their levels or abilities, to think more consciously about the decisions they make and the footprint they leave.”

“This project has made our students think more consciously about the footprint they leave.”

simon lewis, community Partner

Nicky Goulder, Create Founding CEO, said: “It has been incredible to watch our inspiring participants go from strength to strength during this environment:matters project in Harrow. They have made great strides in their musical skill, confidence and awareness of environmental issues. Most importantly, though, the beaming smiles on their faces say it all. A huge congratulations to our amazing participants for putting on a spectacular show. And thank you to The Atherton Family Charitable Trust for making this vital project possible.”

SEND environment matters performance harrow

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