SHAREMUSIC

What we do...

Residential Courses

Share Music runs an annual programme of weeklong residential courses at specialised centres throughout the UK and in Sweden.

The courses incorporate music, dance and theatre and culminate in a final public performance. None of the work produced on the week is pre-planned and courses provide a fully integrated atmosphere, where disabled and non-disabled people work alongside each other as artistic equals.

Whilst the courses attract many musicians and other artists, participants are not required to have any former experience. Workshops are designed so that people of all skill levels are able to get involved in the creative process; this includes the use of state-of-the-art technology so that those with more severe forms of physical disability are not excluded.

Between 35 and 50 disabled and non-disabled people attend each course as participants and a team of 5-8 tutors and assistant tutors are employed. Non-disabled participants participate fully in the artistic side of the programme and assist with the care needs of disabled participants, under the guidance of qualified care staff.

For more information about these courses or to apply, go to Courses 2005

Taster Days and Performance Groups

Short non-residential taster courses were introduced in 2002, and have been held in London, Oldham, Derry and Taunton. Taster courses enable Share Music to increase participation and build useful relationships with other organisations in new areas.

In 2004 we have piloted “performance groups” within our Northern Ireland Programme. These are groups of disabled and non-disabled people who expressed an interest in taking part in year-round activity, with the ultimate aim of showcasing their work via short performances and workshops around Northern Ireland.

Specifically, the aims of this group are:

• To establish an ongoing year-round performance company of disabled and non-disabled artists to collaborate in a series of music, dance, and theatre workshops, rehearsals and performances.
• To enhance and develop performers’ skills in music, dance, theatre with a view to performing at a series of concerts at Arts events in the Belfast area.
• To build new audiences for arts and disability events and demonstrate Share Music’s integrated approach to the performing arts.
• To catalyse new and valuable collaboration and skill sharing, with the ultimate aim of dramatically increasing provision for disabled people living in Northern Ireland.

A successful two-day course was piloted in June 2004 at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum, Cultra to launch the initiative. The weekend comprised creative workshops designed to give the participants the skills and confidence to continue to develop and rehearse their work. The weekend also provided an opportunity for participants to discuss how they wished to take the Group forward.

Fortnightly sessions culminated in attendance at a training course at McGee College, Derry in November, 2004, attended by 25 disabled and non-disabled participants from the Derry and Belfast areas and facilitated by 3 tutors from the University of Ulster. This course incorporated a series of intensive music, theatre and dance workshops and culminated in a final performance at the end of the two days.

For more information about the Performance Group please contact us

Training for artists..

A key part of our strategy is to develop training and career pathways for disabled and non-disabled artists and in order to make a greater impact in the areas and nations in which we work, it is essential that we increasingly draw on the skills of artists within these areas.

In November 2003 we ran our first dedicated training course for artists, as part of the Aldeburgh festival and in collaboration with the Britten-Pears School. During 2004 we have initiated a programme of work in partnership with the University of Ulster, aimed at developing the skills of artists within Northern Ireland.

By offering structured training pathways we aim to encourage upcoming artists to incorporate this kind of collaborative arts activity into their work. In this way skills developed during the training programme will feed back to inform and shape the wider artistic community.

These courses are open to a broad base of upcoming and established artists and are facilitated by Share Music’s most experienced tutors.

Participants on these courses:

• Gain experience in constructing arts-related workshops.
• Gain experience in delivering arts activity to a mixed disabled and non-disabled group.
• Develop their general facilitation skills and discover ways to introduce music and movement to inexperienced participants.
• Be inspired to think creatively and artistically, and to demonstrate the benefits of using arts and music in an educational context.
• Gain an in-depth understanding of Share Music’s approach to inclusive music, dance, theatre.
• Practical skills are imbedded within a more theoretical context, with discussion around the development of Share Music’s artistic programme and its role within Disability Arts.

Over the next three years we aim to identify opportunities to run similar training programmes in other area of the UK and in collaboration with Sweden.

For more information about training for artists please contact us

Share Music in Europe..

Set up by former participant, Sophia Alexandersson, in 2002, Share Music Sweden continues to grow, and this year ran its third residential course at Hjo Folkhögskola. The Swedish Programme runs a series of “taster’ events throughout the year and plan to run activities in one new region each year for the coming three years. Share Music Sweden also plan to initiate a training programme for artists within their programme.

Share Music Sweden has established contact with a variety of organisations in Europe and beyond. The most recent residential course in June 2005 included participants from Iceland and Albania and there are plans for possible future exchanges between the UK, Sweden, Hungary, Malta, Albania, Iceland and Palestine.

For more information about Share Music Sweden visit www.sharemusic.se

 

 

 

 

 

Share Music Sweden

www.sharemusic.se

Registered charity number is X025494