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Music and Dance for wellbeing with Young people
Wallsend, Tyne and Wear, United Kingdom
Aim
Providing Free creative workshops in music and dance for wellbeing, to 130 young people at The Bostey Youth Centre in Walker, Newcastle.
about us
Society of Strays was established in 2019 during the Global pandemic of COVID-19. Initially, we used online streaming platforms to share short c
omedy films that chartered and parodied the ever-changing public attitudes and behaviours during this time of international crisis. It was during the end of the first lockdown that the two company directors, dancer Andy Gardiner and soprano Donna Lennard, created the concept of 'Would you Adam and Eve it?', which is attached to the project we are fundraising for.
We are based in Newcastle and since our activity began 2 years ago, we have received 2 commissions. One was to create a new outdoor work ('Cycle') which celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Metro (Nexus) in partnership with Dance City. The other, Early-Stage 2021 commission from Dance City, was to look deeper into the work of 'Would you Adam and Eve it?' In March 2022, we registered as a CIC (Community Interest Company) with the aim of ensuring all company activity is for the benefit of the local community in and around Newcastle.
what we value
Our primary ethos is to create unique, empowering experiences that bring people together to champion wellbeing through creativity.
'Would you Adam and Eve it?'
This unique duet for dancer and soprano, involving music, dance, spoken word and dark comedy, originated from the ideas of creation and annihilation. After much research and discussion, we agreed that technology could arguably be one of humankind's greatest creations. But creation isn't necessarily a good thing.
We spoke about, and interrogated the idea of, what it means to connect. How do we connect together virtually and in real life? Are they different? What do we gain, and what do we miss? We explored what our future could hold as technology develops beyond our own intelligence and understanding, and thought about who that affects.
Through our research, it was clear that we needed to include more than our own thoughts to really comprehend these themes, but also to represent a larger portion of the population.
As the video describes, we will be integrating a community cast into this work which spans from ages 10 - 78 years. We have not yet worked with young people as Society of Strays, but during our research we found that the work was missing their voices, especially when we consider connection - how we connect - and that young people today do not know a life prior to smartphones, devices and the internet.
Creativity inherently connects people. It brings people together in various ways which bonds them by working on common goals and helps them to understand more about each other whilst communicating and expressing themselves in non-verbal ways.
where will my money go?
For this project, we have planned to work with The Bostey Youth Centre in Walker, Newcastle, for 2 weeks in February 2023. Your donation will go towards the facilitation of free workshops for 130 young people involving:
- discussions about technology where everyone gets to talk about their own experiences
- guidance in putting those thoughts onto paper
- time to discover and play, learning how to use their bodies and voices creatively in response to what they've written, with access to making music with a loop station, all led by Andy and Donna - professionals with over 20 years in the performing industry
- the hiring of a newly-graduated dance professional who we will train to help facilitate the workshops
- the unique opportunity to have the creations from the young people integrated into 'Would you Adam and Eve it?' - a professional performance with a premiere at The Witham, Barnard Castle with 12 tickets made available for some to come and watch
Our relationship to The Bostey developed due to our shared interest in activity that promotes wellbeing. Their centre facilitates a ‘5 steps to wellbeing' programme that supports the young people who attend in a variety of ways. Engaging in creativity like song and dance will be new to their groups, so we are really excited to be offering this and using what they make in our show to ensure their voices are heard.
some further information and statistics surrounding mental health and young people
- "By exploring imagination and creativity through art, storytelling, interactive games, music, and all kinds of play, children learn lifelong skills... how to express themselves, communicate with others, problem solve, develop self-confidence, appreciate diverse ideas and cultures, and find things that make them feel fulfilled and happy." (Jennifer A Perry)
- The ONS reports 50% of young people under the age of 14 experience mental health related issues, and this develops to 75% by the age of 24 without intervention. Creativity has proven, in extensive research, to release both stress and anxiety.
- Sing or Play Music – Music is a bonding method. When we harmonize or sync with others musically, we develop more positive feelings towards them. Singing can raise levels of oxytocin in both amateur and professional singers. Even listening to music releases oxytocin. Music directly impacts our ability to trust and socially connect to others. This is a great way to enhance creativity and express ourselves.
- Dance or Move Your Body – Dancing relieves anxiety and improves our quality of life, while getting us moving. Studies have shown that dancing and moving to music can provide mental health benefits.
- Write or Tell Stories – Writing and storytelling have long-lasting psychological and developmental benefits. Exploring imagination and creativity through storytelling, journaling, and writing allows us to express ourselves, problem solve, communicate with others, develop self-confidence, and discover things that make us feel happy and fulfilled. (from http://diverushealth.org/)
This project successfully funded on 16th January 2023