25 January – 12 February 2021
A music project set to begin this month for young deaf adults will go ahead with the team at Fisher Gate Point in Nottingham saying it is now more vital than ever.
With a number of young people already signed up, the Be Scene and Heard project will kick off with a virtual meet and greet session on 23 January, followed by three weeks of workshops and activities delivered online from 25 January to 12 February.
A limited number of places are still available and organisers are keen to urge those who may not have been able to attend in person to get in touch if they would like to take part in the virtual project. It is fully funded by Youth Music and open to young people aged 18-25 who may be fully deaf or partially deaf.
With an exciting mix of mentors drawn from professional West End performers to singers, vocalists, instrumentals and filmmakers on board, the project will offer a range of opportunities suitable for all abilities.
Music promoter Will Robinson, I’m Not From London, is leading the project and said: “We’re absolutely determined to deliver a fantastic project even though it will now be online. It would be wonderful to think we could connect a community of deaf and hearing young people with a passion for music through this project. Having something where people can express themselves and work with others on a creative project will be invaluable especially at a time when we are all stuck at home and cut off from each other.”
With 12 million people experiencing hearing loss across the UK – one in six of the population – the project aims to break down barriers and develop confidence by bringing together deaf and hearing young people with the mentors to create music and videos.
Deaf actor/dancer Joseph Fletcher and West End musical theatre performer Molly May Gardiner – who have worked with choreographer and director Mark Smith of Deaf Man Dancing which fuses dance with sign language – will be lead mentors on the project, along with singer, songwriter and producer Rudi (https://www.instagram.com/rudimusique), vocalist Ben Hellings,a previous winner of Future Sound of Nottingham and a vocal coach (Ben Hellings Vocal Academy), filmmaker Fred Glenister, who documented the award winning Circle of Light project and deaf student Owen Brindley.
Participants will have opportunities to get involved in songwriting, recording, performing and producing music videos with a team of videographers, music producers and professional musicians to help facilitate as required.
Nottinghamshire Deaf Society has welcomed the new project.
Jon Giles, Nottinghamshire Deaf Society Chief Executive said: “Despite the constraints of the pandemic it is really exciting that this project is going ahead. There are few opportunities for young deaf people to engage in the arts in an accessible way so this is a fantastic chance to have a go. We look forward to seeing the results of this project”.
