We are delighted to be awarded funding from the Postcode Community Trust and The D’Oyly Carte Foundation for Music Treehouse, our SEND creative music making project which goes from strength to strength. Many thanks to all our funders.

Her social interaction has improved dramatically, she wants to always communicate her love of music. Parent

It is fantastic … the level of participation at the end of term performances is amazing! Parent

She has been coming for 5 years and just loves coming here, she loves the structure of the sessions and the performances and enjoys that it is sociable. Parent

To celebrate the Queen’s Jubilee we created a show for our I Can Sing! music theatre programme reflecting important events that have helped define our history each decade since 1952. Our journey included winning the World Cup in 1966 and celebrating the 2012 Olympics. On the way we entered the realm of protest with the 1970 Women’s Equal Pay Act and the 1980s Miners Strikes and explored the realisation of climate change in the 2000s and the importance of the NHS, with their 50^th anniversary in 1998. The Finale Hope, was a new commission composed by Saturday Programme coach Vahan Salorian, which offered all the ICS! students who contributed to the lyrics and music, an opportunity for reflection on the past decade.

Bringing back alumni ICS! students in our Saturday Programme’s new Rooftop Academy allowed us to both have a band for the first time and enjoy a ‘royal’ joke with their repertoire of Queen. We wanted too, to pay tribute to our parents and created a Parents’ Choir with a section of the new song written just for them.

We are grateful to the Arts Council for a Jubilee grant which has enabled us to celebrate in style.

I wanted to say again my congratulations for an absolutely fantastic and very poignant show, … I just loved it. Parent

It was an amazing show, we really enjoyed it. Thank you all for your hard work! Parent

I also highly enjoyed singing that beautiful song with the parents’ choir. Parent

Photo: © CLIVE BARDA/ArenaPAL

Photo: © CLIVE BARDA/ArenaPAL

Photo: © CLIVE BARDA/ArenaPAL

Photo: © CLIVE BARDA/ArenaPAL

The pandemic restrictions that started in March 2020 affected some parts of One Spirit’s delivery more than others: project delivery in HMYOIs Feltham and Cookham Wood went on hold for over 12 months and the Mayor of London funded ‘YLF’ project, due to have started in HMP Aylesbury in late March 2020, had to be postponed.

However, work in Oakhill STC and mentoring in the community could continue due to the high demand and extremely vulnerable nature of the cohort. Additionally, young people being released from custody were still able to be referred to One Spirit on release and engage with us in the community and several boroughs’ YOT/S teams regularly met with their young people at the One Spirit premises in Brixton as council offices remained closed.

Lockdown then eased, but restrictions and unpredictability in the secure estates continued as staff shortages hit critical levels and the pandemic’s effect lingered with many staff being off sick. To some extent, these issues are still affecting the smooth running of prisons and YOIs, but since September 2021 One Spirit has returned to HMYOIs Feltham and Cookham Wood, delivering the project weekly; has continued to run in Oakhill STC uninterrupted; has begun the project at HMP Aylesbury that was postponed at the start of the pandemic and has delivered 2 short projects in HMP Woodhill.

Lockdown in prisons and YOIs continued long after restrictions were eased and eventually lifted in the community. Many of those serving sentences in custody were locked up for up to 23 hours per day. In the youth estate, ‘essential’ activities got young people out of their cells for a couple of hours a day from late summer 2020, but face to face delivery and mixing in education was still restricted for months longer. When the doors finally opened and young people in Feltham and Cookham Wood were allowed back in education a huge release of pressure inevitably occurred, manifesting in various ways, not all of them positive. Fortunately for One Spirit, the young people’s eagerness to get back into music sessions manifested in ferocious engagement. Working in smaller groups has allowed participants to get closer attention from One Spirit staff, energy levels have been consistently high and success stories, in terms of the impact that the project has had on young people, have been frequent. One young person remarked “Since you guys have been coming back in there’s just a buzz on the landing. Every man’s got their book out now and is writing bars in their cells”. It’s not uncommon to find highly talented and confident young men amongst this cohort, but since September it has perhaps been more impressive to see how many young people who have not engaged in any kind of music, and in some cases anything positive at all, have really opened up and found things out about themselves they didn’t know and done things, in many ways very well, which they have never done before. Teachers of other classes have noted how the project has improved young people’s behaviour and engagement in their classes; officers have noted that those involved with the project are often easier to manage, especially on days when they are due to attend One Spirit, and YOT/S teams have remarked that the sessions in the community are often the only activity that their young people will attend and engage in. Education Manager at Oakhill STC fed back:

“…. We have also seen an increase in the children’s focus and attendance in all aspects of their curriculum and the positive feelings they feel about themselves following a One Spirit session allows them to achieve more in lessons, resulting in an increase in successful qualifications for each child”.

One positive that seems to have come out of the pandemic and the restrictions applied, which saw many young people and adults locked up for up to 23 hours per day for over 12 months, is the boost it has given to the general discussion about wellbeing and mental health issues experienced by those in custody, as well as an increase in discussions around trauma-based approaches to working with this cohort. One Spirit’s participants have long been feeding back on how sessions, both in and out of custody, with One Spirit have helped them to ‘feel better’. Several young people have consistently called their One Spirit music sessions ‘therapy’ and more recently a young participant fed back “It’s mad, but every time I lie down to sleep and close my eyes, I just see violence, like all the things I’ve done and that have happened. I’m not serious about being a music artist, but doing this helps me to get a lot of stuff off my mind”. Ofsted have recently observed One Spirit’s sessions in both Oakhill STC and HMYOI Feltham, giving very positive feedback and noticing how the One Spirit method creates a classroom environment that fosters high engagement, trust and improved well-being amongst participants. One Ofsted inspector remarked:

 “In the HMDT Music session children write well-written, emotional songs that help them to express how they feel and to cope with their earlier traumatic experiences”.

Over the past 12 months the project has engaged over 180 participants in custody and 41

‘through the gate’ in the community. Activities have ranged from song/lyric writing and recording, music technology (composition, engineering and mixing music), music business study and developing entrepreneurial skills, personal skills development (preparing for employment, personal finance and other) and the crucial peripheral activities such as drama games, general group discussion and warm up activities. The successful impact of the project is borne out through direct and anecdotal feedback from participants and the staff in custody (see above) as well as statistics collected, such as:

99% of participants said they had learned something new; 92% of participants declare an increase in self-confidence; 76% of participants said they feel better about the future;

64% said they feel they are better at taking criticism and 58% said they feel more motivated.

Of the participants that engage with One Spirit through the gate, post their release from custody, 93% have not reoffended in 6+ months since their release, 67% are in employment and 27% are in college/FE.

Over the next 12 months, in addition to continuing to serve the young people/adults in Oakhill STC, HMYOIs Feltham and Cookham Wood as well as those released from custody and resettling back in their communities, One Spirit will:

• Initiate a ROTL provision (release on temporary licence), which allows eligible young people in custody the opportunity to be released during the day time to engage in activities in the community; this opportunity will serve the young people/adults in HMYOIs Cookham Wood and Feltham;
• Continue the project at HMP Aylesbury, which was postponed in 2020;
• Increase its presence in HMP Woodhill, where two pilot projects have led to the prison asking for a more consistent and regular provision.

Saturday Rooftop Academy is HMDT Music’s new band programme for Year 9+ students to work with industry professionals.

Students will learn established standards, and learn how to arrange and compose both their own songs and existing material. They will also benefit from: the experience of a professional recording artist, learning about the music industry, how to plan a set and a range of performance opportunities.

Who is it for?

If you’re Year 9+, minimum Grade 4 or equivalent on an instrument or voice, and want to have fun making music in a band or group and explore music from different genres, cultures and eras, then this is the programme for you! If you are also taking or thinking of taking GSCE or A-Level music this will be a great opportunity to enhance your musical skills and knowledge.

What does it offer?

• Performing music you enjoy in our new Rock/Pop Band and creating your own;
• Composition with professional composers who cover a broad spectrum of genres;
• Guest masterclasses from specialist artists from across the industry;
• Performance opportunities;
• The option to add an individual instrumental or singing lesson.

CLICK HERE TO APPLY

or

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

HMDT Music’s new TIME CPD Programme: Embedding the Arts across the Curriculum  embraces our award-winning methodology refined over the past twenty years. The online year-long programme delivered by a team of expert artist educators builds technical skills for teachers in a range of art forms and introduces new ideas, methodologies and resources to support use of the arts to enhance the curriculum, raise achievement and inspire learning. The 12 sessions in art, music, drama, film and puppets are designed to give teachers confidence and expertise to help enhance students’ creativity, imagination and curiosity by delivering a broad and rich curriculum.

It has developed my classroom practice immeasurably, constantly being inspired by the new approaches to learning. Teacher

For more information

CLICK HERE

At 8.00am on Tuesday March 24^th 2020 we (One Spirit team) had just pulled into the car park of HMYOI Cookham Wood when we received a call from Cookham Wood’s education manager asking us to stay put; she’d call back in 5 minutes and update us on their ‘Covid plan’. Sure enough, 5 minutes later she called back and apologetically told us the prison was now fully locked down.

For the next 6+ weeks all face to face / in person One Spirit activities ceased; mentors switched to communicating with their mentees, and where appropriate delivering sessions by zoom and / or phone.  This worked well if the mentee had good Internet access – one mentee in particular was able to continue working on his business plan and setting up his record label with the mentor’s remote help – but with many of the cohort it was a poor substitute for the support they continued to need, if indeed it was possible at all.

By mid May face to face sessions gradually started to resume. It was noticeable that most of the young people (especially the younger ones) enrolled in the One Spirit mentoring program appeared generally nervous and confused about coming out, more unwilling than ever to use public transport and, given the stereotypes of this cohort being lawless and irresponsible it was surprising to see how confused and in even more need of solid guidance and direction they appeared to be.

The intensification of 2020’s BLM movement and the events preceding and following the death of George Floyd had no small impact on the individuals One Spirit works with in the community, 96% of whom are black or of mixed race heritage, and in what is almost post-Lockdown UK 2021 this impact continues to resonate. In addition and further heightening the intensity and vulnerability of the young people we work with the teenage murder rate in 2021, after only 5 months, has already surpassed that of 2020.

All these events combined have proved to be both a positive and negative motivator. Positively, the demand for our services from YOT has increased, young people’s attendance at sessions in the community has improved and it has been noticeable that most of the young people we are working with seem more motivated to find employment and / or enquire about further education. Negatively and perhaps predictably, the issue of isolation intensified during 2020, along with boredom, hopelessness and the loss of motivation. It was hard to get some young people to come out immediately after the first lockdown, but mentors kept up constant communication with their mentees and by late June 2020 face to face sessions gathered pace. This included mentors travelling to see young people in their communities around Greater London, and in some cases further afield if the young person had been re-housed outside London, as well as delivering sessions in one of the One Spirit mentor locations in either North West or South London.

In July of 2020 the education manager at Oakhill STC (formerly of HMP Aylesbury) contacted HMDT Music requesting the support of the One Spirit programme.  Oakhill houses 14-18 year olds, who for various reasons have been deemed too vulnerable to serve sentences in ‘mainstream’ YOIs. One Spirit delivery started with groups of up to 4 young people within the main education timetable; as soon as One Spirit staff had keys delivery switched to 1to1 support sessions for specific young people, identified as such either because of their resettlement plans or because of other specific needs. One Spirit staff have forged great relationships with staff at the centre and delivered some crucial and valuable work with young people, some of whom have already connected with the programme in the community post-release. Ofsted recently inspected the centre and rated HMDT Music’s provision there very highly amongst the aspects of education and care that are working well:

The link with the Hackney Music Trust is both interesting and meaningful.  It provides a very effective hook to engage the learners in other activities including self-evaluation and reflection.  It provides an emotional outlet for the teenagers and work has been done with the management to secure an understanding that “what is said in the room, stays in the room” (unless there are security/safety concerns).  The music activities provide a channel for the development of communication skills as the learners develop lyrics.  As well as providing an opportunity to develop a long-term hobby, this work has a resettlement aspect as the young people are followed up on release.  There are very close and effective links with the Music Technology teacher to ensure meaningful cross-over of technical and creative activities.

Gemma Howarth, Head of Education, Oakhill Secure Training Centre

In the last month (May/June 21) the prison service has given the go ahead to YOI establishments to restart work with outside agencies; HMYOIs Feltham and Cookham Wood and HMP Aylesbury have all been in touch with HMDT Music to discuss a resumption in delivery.

Work in the community continues apace, and of the 24 young people / adults currently accessing the programme:

• 33% are in college or further education
• 54% are in full or part time employment
• 91% have not reoffended

Young people, their parents / carers, and the staff working with them in statutory settings continue to give positive feedback about One Spirit’s programme:

“I can go studio with my boys, but it’s not the same. You were there with me when I was in jail and you’ve continued to be there since I came out. I’m not saying you’re my counsellor, but coming studio with you is like counselling, I need it. It’s fun and all that, but also it really helps.”

Young person engaging with One Spirit in the community

“We’ve just been talking for like 45 minutes and hardly done any music, but it was a sick lesson; thanks Sir.”

Young person after 1to1 session at Oakhill STC

“This is so helpful, there should be more things like this. I’m really glad I came with D today.”

Young person’s mother, attending a session in the community with her son

“I just wanted to thank you for sending over the updates on the young people’s progress.  I wanted also to feedback to you on the service you offer as we have just undergone an inspection and your work was highlighted as a particularly positive intervention.

 What stood out to inspectors was the fact that you were able to open up and remain a safe environment during much of the lockdown – providing a much-needed outlet for our young people.  You were one of the few agencies to do this and this was appreciated hugely by the young people we work with and practitioners alike. Furthermore the fact that you continue to work with young people after their Order or YOT involvement is complete provides us with an excellent ‘exit plan’ for our young people and means that they continue to engage in positive activities.

 It was also noted that through the excellent work you do in Oakhill and HMP YOI you have been able to offer some continuity for our young people from your work with them both in the community and in custody- this is hugely comforting to them at a time when they feel most alone and vulnerable.

Basically just a big thank you for all you do – please keep doing it!!”

Manager, Merton YOT

★★★★

“Jina and The STEM Sisters seeks not solely to promote creativity … but opens arms to young girls, advocating them to be courageous in the face of oppression, be proud in the curiosity they demonstrate and be weird, be clever, and driven to explore the world.”

The Reviews Hub

Preview 7: We asked our female team to sum up the project in just one or two words. It proved quite a challenge! How would you summarise the show?

PREVIEW: The one word challenge to describe the show!

★★★★★

“This is a production that can be appreciated on several levels and it is most definitely worth seeing with your children.”

London Living Large

Featuring puppeteers Ruth Calkin and Nix Wood, singers: Nadine Benjamin, Eloise Eisenberg, Abigail Kelly, Susan Moore, Jessica Gillingwater and the I Can Sing! Children’s Chorus, with the STEM Sisters band directed by Jenny Gould.

For ALL ages from 8+.

Streaming NOW! until 11 April.

Find out more and book tickets HERE!

Why not make an event of it and share this with your friends and family?

Find out more and BOOK tickets HERE!

This week’s preview from our new show Jina and the STEM Sisters gives you an opportunity to Meet the Puppets! Our curious, brave and fabulous STEM Sisters are brought to life by puppeteers Nix Wood and Ruth Calkin. Watch them sing, dance, and guide Jina home through the forest.

“Rap, laughs, multi-media and amazing puppetry – this online theatre show about history’s most influential women has it all!” National Geographic Kids

PREVIEW: Meet the Puppets

Why not make an event of it and share this with your friends and family?

This entertaining new puppet musical by writer Rachel Barnett-Jones and composer Jenny Gould whose eclectic score is inspired by rap, opera, funk, Handel and musical theatre, premieres in Clare Whistler’s inspiring production which brings Sophia Lovell Smith’s stunning puppet and set designs to life.

It features puppeteers Ruth Calkin, Nix Wood, singers: Nadine Benjamin, Eloise Eisenberg, Abigail Kelly, Susan Moore, Jessica Gillingwater and the I Can Sing! Children’s Chorus, with the STEM Sisters band directed by Jenny Gould.

The supporting primary schools’ project includes science workshops, a bank of teaching resources and an online heritage zone.

For ALL ages from 8+.

Streaming from THIS MONDAY:15 March – 11 April. 

FIND OUT MORE AnD BOOK TICKETS HERE!

We are delighted to share our next PREVIEW from our new show Jina and the STEM Sisters. Designing the Show gives a visual insight into how Sophia Lovell Smith created the magical set drawing inspiration from scientific forms and journeys to create Jina’s world.

One of StageSavvy‘s five shows to see celebrating International Woman’s Day: “a quirky way of making feminist history fun”.

PREVIEW: Designing the Show

Why not make an event of it and share this with your friends and family?

This entertaining new puppet musical by writer Rachel Barnett-Jones and composer Jenny Gould whose eclectic score is inspired by rap, show tunes, funk, Handel and musical theatre, premieres in Clare Whistler’s inspiring production which brings Sophia Lovell Smith’s stunning designs to life.

It features puppeteers Ruth Calkin, Nix Wood, singers: Nadine Benjamin, Eloise Eisenberg, Abigail Kelly, Susan Moore, Jessica Gillingwater and the I Can Sing! Children’s Chorus, with the STEM Sisters band directed by Jenny Gould.

The supporting primary schools’ project includes science workshops, a bank of teaching resources and an online heritage zone.

For ALL ages from 8+.

Streaming 15 March – 11 April. 

Find Out More and BOOK tickets HERE!

HMDT Music is grateful for the support of:

We’re delighted to invite you to our new show Jina and the STEM Sisters celebrating historical STEM women.

Join budding scientist Jina as she seeks her way out of the forest helped by some of history’s amazing female scientists and mathematicians. Digital-coder rapper Ada Lovelace, glamorous inventor Hedy Lamarr, and ‘radiating’ Marie Curie are amongst those empowering Jina with scientific gifts to help her get home and become the best scientist she can be!

Watch weekly feature videos HERE!

Why not make an event of it and share this with your friends and family?

This entertaining new puppet musical by writer Rachel Barnett-Jones and composer Jenny Gould whose eclectic score is inspired by rap, show tunes, funk, Handel and musical theatre, premieres in Clare Whistler’s inspiring production which brings Sophia Lovell Smith’s stunning designs to life.

It features puppeteers Ruth Calkin, Nix Wood, singers: Nadine Benjamin, Eloise Eisenberg, Abigail Kelly, Susan Moore, Jessica Gillingwater and the I Can Sing! Children’s Chorus, with the STEM Sisters band directed by Jenny Gould.

The supporting primary schools’ project includes science workshops, a bank of teaching resources and an online heritage zone.

For ALL ages from 8+.

Streaming 15 March – 11 April. 

Find out more and BOOK tickets HERE!

HMDT Music is grateful for the support of:

Looking for instrumental lessons for your child? Live in Hackney, Islington, Tower Hamlets but not sure where to start or what instrument? Why not give us a call? The HMDT Music Saturday Programme has something for everyone and is the ideal place for your child to start learning an instrument. Our music lessons for children aged 5 plus take place within an extensive curriculum including group and individual instrumental tuition, singing, musicianship and ensembles, as well as the Orchestra and Choirs!

So what can we expect from CYMH Instrumental School?

For students in school years 1 and 2, we offer the Minis programme. Minis have two classes – a singing and drama/movement class building performance skills and a Recorder and General Musicianship class to develop all-round musicianship skills. Students will take part in dynamic and engaging music theatre and movement, learn instrumental skills, benefit from increased confidence, and participate in exciting performances and develop strong team building skills. Students going into school year 2 will take part in the Autumn term instrumental tasters, alongside the group session. At the end of the Autumn term, students will then select which instrument they wish to learn for the Spring and Summer terms.

Students then progress up a programme ladder as they increase in confidence and ability with more exciting opportunities including ensembles, bands & choirs. Those students interested in taking exams are able to do so at our centre, we also have aural preparation sessions, and extra Grade 5 theory classes to support those at that stage in their learning.

This sounds amazing – but, my child is older than school year 1. Is there an opportunity to get them involved? Of course! We can offer individual lessons through our Music Lessons for you Scheme, and once they are playing at a similar level, they can either choose to join as an ensemble student and continue with their private lessons, or join in with an appropriate level group.

My child is playing at a Grade 4 level or above – is there anything for them? Absolutely! We have two programmes – The Blue Programme or Jazz Blues programme. These are by audition only and like all the programmes are tailored to that specific experience level. Also – NEW this year is the rooftop Academy for students in year 9+ who are grade 4 and above. Interested? Please drop Sabina a line on 020 8882 8825 or team@hmdtmusic.org.uk

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

OR

APPLY NOW

Interested in Music Theatre or the Performing Arts? Live in Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Islington or East London? Look no further! At I Can Sing! we offer the opportunity to train in a variety of stage disciplines with leading professional artists, gaining new skills, confidence and firm friendships.
Entry is non-auditioned with the focus on reinforcing the ensemble performing tradition. To do this we draw of repertoire that includes classic Broadway numbers alongside our own original traditions.

With programmes for students from Year 1 upwards, there is something for every school age! Uniquely since I Can Sing! is part of a larger Saturday Music Programme, students can also opt to take additional instrumental or singing lessons (subject to availability).

So what can I expect to receive from I Can Sing!

School Years 1 & 2 are a little different as they are aimed at aimed at developing all-round musicianship – the foundation for all musical styles, and also give students the opportunity to try an instrument so that students are given the tools and opportunities to try both Musical Theatre, and more classical music training before choosing which direction they wish to go at the end of Year 2.

From Year 3 onwards, each group at I Can Sing! goes into a structured specific Music Theatre training where there are a series of classes in: Singing, Dance, Drama & Stagecraft. They work towards termly performances which gives everyone the opportunity to showcase the musical theatre repertoire that they have been learning, or even in some cases, been creating!

This is truly the most fantastic programme, and although we do not have an agency attached, students should they wish to audition at the right time for productions, will be given support. Past students have gone on to appear in a range of productions including We Will Rock You, as well as our own large-scale productions, the most recent being Trench Brothers at the Brighton Dome.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

OR
APPLY NOW

Looking for a Saturday Toddler Music Class? Do you live in Hackney, Islington, Tower Hamlets or East London? Look no further! Come and join us at The Music Box, the programme that is more than just a baby or toddler music class. In this Early Years Music Class all music is performed live (no recorded music allowed!) with regular guest artists to introduce the whole family to different genres, cultures and traditions. One week you could find yourself immersed in the world of Klezmer, another you could be discovering the music & instruments that form a Classical Brass Quintet. You could be learning how to dance like a traditional Chinese Dancer or how to play and make a digeridoo!

We have two classes aimed at different age brackets each led by a different wonderful leader in order to ensure progression. In each session families will do a number of activities that help introduce and develop the fundamentals of music. As well as being introduced to our Guest Artists each week Singing, Movement and Music Skills are integrated into the classes. You can expect yourself to be singing a selection of songs from the favourite nursery rhymes (these are always requested in the ‘childrens choice’ section), to musicals and even songs from our very own early years song books (available to purchase at the Saturday Programme). Early Musical Skills are introduced from around 12 months as concepts such as pitch, rhythm and tempo are introduced through percussion instruments, focusing on developing listening skills and concentration in a group environment. All these skills also help prepare children for nursery and school by introducing concepts such as team work, sharing and instilling structured learning whilst having a huge amount of fun! Music is also fantastic at developing speech, vocabulary, and general communication.

Sounds like fun? Classes happen at Bridge Academy on Laburnum Street –  CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

HMDT Music is committed to ensuring that music is for all – we also have a specialist SEND Music Box programme for the over 2s. You don’t need to have a specific diagnosis at the time of applying as many children don’t receive these until later. The class operates very slightly differently to what is described above – for more information please do email team@hmdtmusic.org.uk.

APPLY NOW

We would like to say a massive thank you to all our tutors, students, parents and staff who made the launch of our new Saturday Programme Online Learning Hub a huge success this morning. A very special thank you also goes out to our amazing graphic designer Raphael for working into the small hours to create such a beautiful webspace for us at such short notice! 

The feedback we have received has been overwhelmingly positive and the spirit of our Saturday Programme undaunted by these trying times. This was truly a Herculean task, and you should all be extremely proud of yourselves! Your dedication and hard work is inspiring. 

We’re sorry that we weren’t able to provide something for every group today, but we will be sending you learning materials early next week. We will be working to resolve inevitable technological issues and the Hub will continue to deliver group and one-to-one music lessons and workshop sessions whilst we all work to make the best of this difficult situation in which we all find ourselves.  

We look forward to you joining us next Saturday (our last Saturday before Easter) and for the Summer Term. 

We will be in touch with further details and updates from the Online Learning Hub during the week, and we will continue to work remotely during normal office hours. 

Do all take care in the meantime and stay safe! 

We are delighted to announce that HMDT Music has won the Music & Drama Education Award for ‘Excellence in Musical Theatre’, for TRENCH BROTHERS.

‘Lauded as innovative, interesting, original and, representative with a wide range of easily useable resources’, Trench Brothers commemorated the achievements and contributions made by ethnic minority soldiers in the First World War with a cross-curricular education programme for primary schools, culminating in a new music theatre work by composers Julian Joseph and Richard Taylor, and librettist Tertia Sefton-Green, directed by Clare Whistler, and Freya Wynn-Jones, and designed by Neil Irish.

The project toured schools across London, Lancashire and Staffordshire culminating in October 2018 with large-scale performances at Brighton Dome featuring 250 local school children, students from our I Can Sing! programme and the Julian Joseph Jazz Academy, and artists including acclaimed singers Cleveland Watkiss and Damian Thantrey, actor Richard Sumitro, and the Singh Degun Duo, conducted by Lee Reynolds.

The Brighton performances included Letter songs written over the project’s duration by composers Michael Betteridge, Jenny Gould, Matthew King, James Redwood, and Omar Shahryar with participating schools.

Congratulations and thanks to all the schools, artists, educators, volunteers and partners who’ve participated in and contributed to the project since 2014.

To see performance highlights, the pre-performance talk, and the electronic programme, please click HERE.

You can also visit our legacy site to see the work of the London and Lancashire Schools by clicking HERE.

Tertia Sefton-Green and Adam Eisenberg being presented with the award by ABRSM Executive Director Jeremy Phillips [Left] and host & presenter Alan Titchmarsh [Right].

Over the last 12 months One Spirit has delivered its music and resettlement focused projects across HMYOIs Cookham Wood and Feltham and HMP Highdown, as well as continuing to support those released from custody with opportunities to carry on their music/creative arts work with a One Spirit mentor, receive support with their transition from custody to community and guidance for next steps to employment and/or further education.

This year OS projects have engaged a total of 213 young people/adults in weeklong Residency projects, 1to1 In-Custody Mentoring sessions, Introductory/Induction sessions and/or 1to1 Through The Gate Mentoring sessions in the community. 147 were unique users and 39 young people/adults engaged more than once and/or in more than one strand of the project, 8 engaged in all 3 strands of the project.

HMDT Music has also set up a new One Spirit project in HMP Aylesbury, with funding from the London Mayor’s Office. This project will build on the success of several one-off One Spirit residencies delivered over the last 3 years and will run until 2022 allowing One Spirit to deliver its provision weekly in the prison. The project will contain the usual elements of social and functional learning based around music, creative arts and business but will also offer participants the chance to train with HMDT Music when released and, for those on longer sentences, the opportunity to develop a ‘career in custody’, gaining peer mentoring skills in One Spirit’s music education methodology.

This year One Spirit’s work at HMYOI Cookham Wood has expanded to include working with some of their most vulnerable and unsettled residents: yps on ‘single unlock’ and yps with mental health issues. These sessions have delivered vital support and been gratefully received by the participants and staff alike, with one young person remarking “thanks for coming to see us, Sir; it’s nice to be taken seriously’.

Delivery at Cookham Wood has also included working with yps who are working towards clearance for ROTL (Release on Temporary Licence). 7 participants have been released from this unit into the community over the course of the year, all of whom have accessed support via One Spirit’s Through the Gate program.

Sadly the number of young people serving sentences for violent crimes, particularly murder, has continued to rise over the year, at the same time behaviour on the wings, in the corridors and classrooms has been more challenging than ever, with frequent disruption and violent occurrences including a rise in assaults on staff.  Frustration, anger and fear are never far from the surface of most (young) people serving time, often rising and boiling over in education. Perhaps this is why so many participants (71% of those who fed back) highlight social group activities such as warm ups, game playing and focus exercises as some of the most enjoyable in the One Spirit project.

In other feedback collected from participants 72% declared they felt better about working with others; 69% felt better about taking criticism and more equipped to give constructive criticism; 90% declared increased self confidence; 84% (of those who initially revealed it as an issue) felt better able to manage their anger and 92% said they felt better about the future. 100% of those asked said they had learned something new on an OS project.

In the community One Spirit has continued to support young people/adults during their resettlement and beyond. 8 young people/adults who engaged with One Spirit whilst in custody have been released over the last 12 months and accessed the Through the Gate mentoring program either remotely or in person (distance and safety of travel remain a challenge for many). One Spirit has been working with several YOT/Ss across London to ensure that their mentees have got ‘joined up’ support and have their time with One Spirit timetabled into their licence conditions.

Several longer term mentees have enjoyed success in their onward journeys, including one former mentee gaining a role in a major TV soap opera, another working as freelance A&R for major record labels and one signing a publishing deal with a successful top 10 music production company.

Currently there are 37 young people/adults accessing the program variously from once every 6 months to once a week in the case of the newly released.

At the time of writing

• 56% are in college, training or further education
• 41% are in employment / self employment
• 87% have not reoffended (national average approx. 35%)

Across the board the verbal feedback from participants and staff has been very positive; this is what they said:

“I like ‘Hackney Music’, it’s a different kind of class, we all got on together and it’s actually worth behaving for” Residency Participant HMYOI Cookham Wood

“This is definitely the best thing I’ve done since I came to prison – it doesn’t even feel like jail when I’m down here” Mentoring Participant HMYOI Feltham A

“Thanks for the work you have done with RS, especially around peer mentoring. He has visibly matured in the last few months and I am not so concerned about him moving up to HMP now” Dep Manager HMYOI Cookham Wood

“Your project is crucial for the guys interested in music and media and really helps to put what we teach in the classroom into a real world perspective; this has been a very important part of their preparation for employment” Education Manager at HMP Highdown

Article: Charlie Parker, Project Manager, One Spirit

With thanks to:

On 4 July, HMDT Music’s Project Trench Brothers, written by Julian Joseph and Richard Taylor to a libretto by Tertia Sefton-Green, was performed as part of the Lichfield Festival at the National Memorial Arboretum’s unique outdoor setting of remembrance. The spirit of remembrance was well and truly alive for this performance which featured MOBO nominated Jazz Singer Cleveland Watkiss, opera singer Damian Thantrey, puppeteers Anna Pool and Jane O’Donoghue, and 120 local school children.

In the lead up to the performance, the school children had taken part in a series of workshops and rehearsals based around World War 1, and teachers worked with over 90 lesson plans, all linked in to the National Curriculum, to further enrich and expand the student’s knowledge. Students had the opportunity to ‘meet an Indian World War 1 Soldier’ in a session led by Ranj Nagra; handle and ask questions about WW1 artefacts with John Meredith, make puppet soldiers led by the Little Angel Theatre and even compose their own letter song ready for the performance at the NMA with composers Jenny Gould and John Webb. On top of this, they also took part in two full day rehearsals with Freya Wynn-Jones (Director) and Jenny Gould (Musical Director) prior to transferring to the NMA stage!

The performance itself was a huge success and a credit to the young people and the whole team – but you don’t need to take our word for it! A reviewhas been published on the Lichfield Festival’s website, written by Oliver Gill, a young person who attended the performance at the National Memorial Arboretum.

HMDT Music and Trench Brothers has also taken part in other events at the NMA – as part of the British Legions’ Youth Thank You project to which two of our Indian Costumed Interpreters ran inspiring drill sessions, and our designers held ‘Design a Memorial’ workshops.

Also appearing at the NMA was the Trench Brothers exhibition. The exhibition, a creative response to the untold stories of minority ethnic soldiers in World War I, which was visited during the month of July by over 24,000 people.

This video is one example of the culmination of HMDT Music’s TIME (Testing the Impact, Measuring the Effect) project. The final phase of TIME was for Queen Eleanor Primary Academy to develop its own project supported by guest artist visits and for this, they chose to focus on their school values and visions and find ways of expressing these through the arts with a view to creating a permanent record and display. We chose to explore a range of genres through music and the visual arts, and create art works to be displayed across the school together with songs representing each value and vision.

Year 2 were given Endeavour as their value and they chose to represent this through an animation about their class mascot, Engelburt the Elephant. They decided to use the character to demonstrate how endeavour fits in with their daily lives at Queen Eleanor Primary Academy.

Film Maker – Stacey Hembury
Composer & Pianist – Jenny Gould

Who is it for?

• Secondary School Students only
• Grade 5 plus on instrument / voice
• Students who are taking, or thinking of taking GCSE, A-Level Music or IB Music at Standard or Higher Level.
• Students who want to make music with other like minded students
• Students who are interested in exploring music from different genres, cultures and eras.

What will the Academy offer students?

• The opportunity to take part in masterclasses in composition, leadership, conducting and performance technique with specialist guest tutors across a broad range of genres.
• Support for their school studies – CYMH Academy offers a perfect complement to GCSE, A-Level music classes, IB Music at Standard or Higher Level.

• Sessions including: Ensemble, Conducting, Composition, Performance, Analysis and History of Music.
• Orchestra – singers/pianists are encouraged to hone their ensemble skills by playing in the percussion section of the orchestra!

• The option to participate with or without individual instrumental lessons
• Proposed guest artists include: Natalie Clein (cellist), Paul Griffiths (Composer and leader), Katie Thomas (conductor and Monteverdi Choir) and Jacquelyn Hynes (Irish Cultural Centre Flautist).

Is it auditioned?

• No audition will be required for Autumn 2017 term. Confirmation from your teacher of your grade (if you don’t take exams), or your latest grade certificate is all that is needed.

When / Where does it happen? 

• Between 12.30pm and 3.15pm Saturday at Haggerston School, Hackney, E2 as part of the Saturday Programme.

How much does it cost? 

• £198 (no instrumental lesson)
• £291 (with 30 minute individual instrumental lesson)
• £12 one-off membership fee
• Bursary rates available.

How do I join? 

Please fill in THIS APPLICATION FORM

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with the office, either through email: info@hmdt.org.uk or via phone 020 8882 8825