Granton Youth Theatre will be performing their powerful production ‘Just Like Everybody Else’ at the Holyrood Road’s Bongo Club this weekend.
The drama was devised and developed by Granton Youth Centre participants and the group’s performance was highly praised when ‘Just Like Everybody Else’ premiered at North Edinburgh Arts Centre in April.
Jut Like Everybody Else can be seen at The Bongo Club, Holyrood Road on Saturday and Sunday at 2.30pm. Tickets are only available at the venue box office or through www.thebongoclub.co.uk . The performance is suuitable for ages 12+.
Triumphant Technophonia! Local students perform Olympic music
Disabled musicians using new technology took centre stage with City of Edinburgh Music School students when they performed Technophonia, an orchestral arrangement to celebrate the Olympics, to great acclaim recently.
The disabled musicians played specially designed, weird and wonderful instruments – with brilliant names like skoog, soundbeam and brainfingers! – which detect tiny movements, making it easier for people with disabilities to perform. The ensemble rehearsed weekly at Broughton High School, home of the renowned City of Edinburgh Music School, the new wave instruments playing in harmony with the conventional.
The children have been working with the charity Drake Music Scotland, established in 1997 with the ethos that ‘disability is no barrier to making music’. DMS’s Thursa Sanderson said: “We had no pre-existing link with the school, but our artistic director knew Tudor (Morris, head of the City of Edinburgh Music School). When we were applying for the New Music 20×12 funding for the commission, we thought it would be great to approach Tudor and ask if pupils from the City of Edinburgh Music School would like to be involved as they are recognised as the best young players from Edinburgh and the surrounding area.”
She went on: “It makes a huge difference for our young musicians with disabilities to play in an ensemble with them, because they rarely, if ever, get the chance to play or perform along with their peers, so it is a great experience for them. I think it works both ways, as it opens the eyes of the CEMS students to the technology and what you can do creatively with it, allowing them to see how young people with disabilities are able to play music – they just need the right resources and support.”
Tudor Morris said: “We were delighted to be involved in this initiative with Drake Music Scotland. It has been an incredibly rewarding project and a really great experience for our students.”
Scots composer Oliver Searle (pictured above) was one of twenty composers commissioned to write a twelve-minute piece to celebrate the Cultural Olympiad. He said: ”Part of this project was trying to write specifically for these instruments so you could say: this is a skoog piece, this is a piece for soundbeam and chamber ensemble, or this is for brainfingers. Not only have we used these instruments, but there are also solos for them!”
The soloists were Anthony Swift and Chris Jacquin, who both have cerebral palsy, and Stephanie Forrest on soundbeam, brainfingers and skoog respectively.
Andrew (15) said: ”When I was wee all I wanted to do was play an instrument. It’s just so amazing to get the opportunity to show people what I can actually be capable of.”
Pic: BBC
Technophonia, Scots composer Oliver Searle’s specially commissioned piece, was premiered in Edinburgh’s Queens Hall on 15 June, followed up with a Royal Conservatoire of Scotland on 22 June before a gala performance at London’s Southbank Centre on 15 July as part of the New Music 20×12 Weekend Celebration.
The performances received great acclaim. Triumphant Technophonia!”, “momentous achievement”, “brilliantly conceived” and “astonishing demonstration” were just a few of the many glowing comments on the three performances.
Technophonia demonstrated just how technology can aid disabled musicians perform on an equal footing with their peers, and that skoogs, soundbeams and brainfingers could become a regular sight in orchestras and bands. And yes, that disability is no barrier to making music. Congratulations to all concerned – bravo!
Granton Youth Centre have been developing their arts provision over the last couple of years and have created two successful pieces of theatre – Split Second and Just Like Everyone Else. Fame Academy is the latest opportunity for local young people to create their own piece of theatre that could potentially become as successful as previous productions.
The project offers young people aged 12+ the chance to try out various art forms including drama, music, film and set and costume design.
Heather Marshall explained: “GYC needs you! We’re looking for young people aged 12+ who would like to create their own show. Rehearsals will take place at GYC and will include:
Theatre
Music
Movement
Film Set
Costume design
You can sign up to perform or help backstage:
Monday 2 July 1-4pm Thurs 5 July 1-4pm
Monday 9 July 1-4pm Thursday 12 July 1-4pm
Monday 16 July 1-4pm Thursday 19 July 1-4pm
Monday 23 July 1-4pm Thursday 26 July 1-4pm.
This is your opportunity to create a brand new show!”
Granton Youth Centre have been developing their arts provision over the last couple of years and have created two successful pieces of theatre – Split Second and Just Like Everyone Else. Fame Academy is the latest opportunity for local young people to create their own piece of theatre that could potentially become as successful as previous productions.
The project offers young people aged 12+ the chance to try out various art forms including drama, music, film and set and costume design.
Heather Marshall explained: “GYC needs you! We’re looking for young people aged 12+ who would like to create their own show. Rehearsals will take place at GYC and will include:
Theatre
Music
Movement
Film Set
Costume design
You can sign up to perform or help backstage:
Monday 2 July 1-4pm Thurs 5 July 1-4pm
Monday 9 July 1-4pm Thursday 12 July 1-4pm
Monday 16 July 1-4pm Thursday 19 July 1-4pm
Monday 23 July 1-4pm Thursday 26 July 1-4pm.
This is your opportunity to create a brand new show!”
New Edinburgh Orchestra will be performing a concert at St Serf’s Parish Church Hall tomorrow (Saturday) at 7.30pm. Conducted by Tim Paxton, leader Joanna Duncan, the orchestra will perform:
David Horne’s Strands, Elgar’s Cello Concerto in E Minor Op. 85 (solo cello Harriet Bruce) and Devorak’s Symphony No & in D Minor Op 70.
Tickets are available on the door or can be purchased online at wegottickets.com
New Edinburgh Orchestra will be performing a concert at St Serf’s Parish Church Hall tomorrow (Saturday) at 7.30pm. Conducted by Tim Paxton, leader Joanna Duncan, the orchestra will perform:
David Horne’s Strands, Elgar’s Cello Concerto in E Minor Op. 85 (solo cello Harriet Bruce) and Devorak’s Symphony No & in D Minor Op 70.
Tickets are available on the door or can be purchased online at wegottickets.com
On Saturday 21 April at North Edinburgh Arts Centre the audience was treated to a brilliant performance by two magnificent actors playing all the characters in Robert Tressell’s classic story ‘The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists’.
The subject, of grinding exploitation of workers employed by a building and decorating firm, was played with emotion, seriousness and a good deal of humour. The confusion and self-interest of some of the characters has its modern counterparts, but so does the message of what must still be done.
The actors, Rodney Matthew and Neil Gore, will be giving performances of the play at the Edinburgh Fringe at Venue 2 this August. It deserves to – and should – play to packed houses.
On Saturday 31 March, a group of children took to the stage in the theatre of North Edinburgh Arts Centre to perform songs and lyrics that they had written. You would be forgiven for thinking that these children must have been from one of the capital’s specialist music schools…but these mini composers were showcasing music which they had been working on for just 14 weeks at Soundkidz music group. Organised by CORE and funded by Creative Scotland with in-kind support from North Edinburgh Arts and Edinburgh Mela , the group let the children explore their musical creativity every Saturday afternoon at North Edinburgh Arts.
With the help of youth workers Tamsin Dearnley and Kirsty Miguda, the group worked with a variety of musicians from a range of musical backgrounds. From conducting and African drumming to jazz singing and lyric writing, the children got a taste of the diverse directions in which music could take them. They also began writing their own lyrics and songs, creating individual pieces and group performances. After a few weeks, the children were ready to compose a whole song as a group. They chose the guitar chords, wrote the lyrics and a melody and rehearsed until they knew their song inside out.
At the performance, the audience first heard members of the group recite lyrics which they had written. From lions and horses to video games and city life, the audience gained an insight into where the children’s imaginations had taken them. The children then showcased group pieces that they had composed during a session in which they had been given a word, a rhythm, a percussion instrument and just 30 minutes to create a piece.
The show’s finale arrived. Gathered together on the stage, with guitarist Stuart Taylor to accompany them, the children launched into the catchy chorus of the song that they had written. At the end the audience clapped and cheered as the children took their bows and received their certificates (along with a copy of the CD which they had recorded the previous week). A brilliant performance by North Edinburgh’s budding musicians!
On Saturday 31 March, a group of children took to the stage in the theatre of North Edinburgh Arts Centre to perform songs and lyrics that they had written. You would be forgiven for thinking that these children must have been from one of the capital’s specialist music schools…but these mini composers were showcasing music which they had been working on for just 14 weeks at Soundkidz music group. Organised by CORE and funded by Creative Scotland with in-kind support from North Edinburgh Arts and Edinburgh Mela , the group let the children explore their musical creativity every Saturday afternoon at North Edinburgh Arts.
With the help of youth workers Tamsin Dearnley and Kirsty Miguda, the group worked with a variety of musicians from a range of musical backgrounds. From conducting and African drumming to jazz singing and lyric writing, the children got a taste of the diverse directions in which music could take them. They also began writing their own lyrics and songs, creating individual pieces and group performances. After a few weeks, the children were ready to compose a whole song as a group. They chose the guitar chords, wrote the lyrics and a melody and rehearsed until they knew their song inside out.
At the performance, the audience first heard members of the group recite lyrics which they had written. From lions and horses to video games and city life, the audience gained an insight into where the children’s imaginations had taken them. The children then showcased group pieces that they had composed during a session in which they had been given a word, a rhythm, a percussion instrument and just 30 minutes to create a piece.
The show’s finale arrived. Gathered together on the stage, with guitarist Stuart Taylor to accompany them, the children launched into the catchy chorus of the song that they had written. At the end the audience clapped and cheered as the children took their bows and received their certificates (along with a copy of the CD which they had recorded the previous week). A brilliant performance by North Edinburgh’s budding musicians!
