Notables band: making new music during Lockdown.

The Notables provide people with learning difficulties and special needs opportunities to acquire skills with music and the performing arts.

We normally run weekly meetings for our core group members. The band rehearse an extensive repertoire of well known songs and original material providing live entertainment at venues, festivals, conferences, parties and events nationwide.

Based in Coventry UK, the Notables also have been providing outreach work to schools, youth & community groups, homes for the elderly, day care & residential centres for the disabled, learning disabled, people with PMLD and mental health difficulties.

During the Covid-19 outbreak it's not possible to meet up to make music, and all our gigs and summer festivals have been cancelled. So instead we are making new music, films and online content to open up opportunities for learning disabled people.

Here’s a video produced by Grahame, one of our musicians:

We want to find new ways for our members and friends to be involved with community music and arts activities at this very difficult time.

Our members who all have special needs are particularly challenged by the current situation and we continue to seek ways to help support them. We continue to be about reducing social isolation, making music and giving a voice to learning disabled people.

So far we have been keeping in touch through phone calls, social media, a newsletter and door-step visits to our members. We have a new WhatsApp group for band members and friends, and through that have set up a tomato growing competition.

We are keen do more of this and to try out new ideas, depending on coronavirus restrictions, and how the situation changes over time.