Feature article: community arts + arts in the community 2011

This page is part of the Community Arts section.

See last year's page: Community Arts 2010

Last year we considered youth theatre, 2Funkyarts, social enterprise, mental health SISO Project (Safe Inside. Safe Outside), Pedestrian Project and the work of Soft Touch.

On this page: Youth Work Week | Mental Health Day show | C:HAT |

9th December

Excluded: first album released

album cover

Excluded has released a first album of songs. The Leicester based organisation provides a mobile recording studio and records and produces music made by people who are excluded from mainstream services: those who are homeless and who might also have drug and alcohol problems or have been in prison.

Making music helps with rehabilitation, Greg Semple told us. Greg set up Excluded when he was a volunteer with Action Homeless and the YMCA. Sound engineer Greg has been homeless himself and knows what it's like. He has also discovered how music can provide people who are facing problems with an empowering medium.

The first album has 15 tracks and four radio edits and is an amazing collection of musical delights. Several of the artists have recorded songs from their native background; including Angolan music, Irish folk, rap and hip-hop.

Chilla, for example, by JK and Fegredo, has a compelling reggae beat with some really great rhythmic content, trumpet backings and strong rasta feel. Many of the tracks celebrate the musical culture of the artists who made them. Track 4. Muxima by Ney Corte Real and Tony Du Du is sung in Angolan, backed by some really splendid guitar work.

I particularly liked Drowsey Dub by Joshua Dean, with its Irish folk violin parts blended with dub beats; a really exciting fusion of musical idioms, it was an inspirational track. It reminded me of the Afro-Celtic Sound System albums in my small but perfectly formed collection of CDs. You can hear this track on the Excluded web site.

R 'n B, rap and hip-hop are strongly represented but what comes across is the musical vibrancy and eclectic mix of idioms. I liked some tracks more than others but anyone with a broad taste in music will something on this album to excite them.

Greg Semple's work with Excluded is remarkable and deserves a wider audience.

The Excluded web site

3rd November

Event highlights youth work

An event highlighting youth work services in the city is taking place in Leicester city centre this weekend (5th November). Part of Humberstone Gate will be transformed into a bustling roadshow celebrating National Youth Work Week, from 12noon to 5pm.

Activities will include dance, music, arts and crafts, sports, a graffiti art workshop and inflatable laser tag game. The event will feature a pod village, offering different activities in each pod area.

Leicester City Council is working with voluntary youth work organisation StreetVibe, ER Dance and Leicestershire police on the event, which is designed to raise the profile of the city council's youth services.

Local artists The Headstarts, Curtis Clacey and singer Justyne Whyte will also play at the event, and there'll be performances from break-dancers and the ER Dance troupe.

The event is free and open to all 13 to 19 year olds. Leicester assistant city mayor with responsibility for children, young people and schools, Cllr Vi Dempster, said: "The city council's youth services are responsible for a huge range of activities and work with young people, and this event is a great chance to showcase that hard work and give people the chance to find out what's on offer in the city. "It will be an exciting opportunity for young people to try out some of these activities for themselves and learn more about what is available to them."

Monday 10th October

Mental Health Day show at the Y Theatre

A fair sized audience gathered at the Y in East Street for the event that included the awards for the Summer Competition and a performance by Leicester band Refuge.

the audience at the y theatre
The audience at the Y photo © Kevin Gaughan

The event was held on World Mental Health Day. Refuge has supported mental well being in Leicester through their work as a band and with the local group SISO (Safe on the Inside, Safe on the Outside).

display at y theatre

The evening was compared by Leicester comedian Jim Smallman and featured a guest appearance by star of the Full Monty and Coronation Street, Steve Huison.

comedian jim smallman
Leicester comedian Jim Smallman Photo © John Seaman

Comedian Jim Smallman did a great job of getting the audience engaged and holding the stage together. He is appearing at highlight comedy club in Leicester on 29th October.

A variety of important people gave messages of support for the occasion including Assistant Mayor Manjula Sood, Richard Chester of the Leicestershire NHS Trust and others.

manjula sood at the rostrum
Councillor Majula Sood at the rostrum Photo © Kevin Gaughan

A variety of winners were given prizes relating to the competition that had been organised over the summer.

actor steve huison
Film and TV star Steve Huison Photo © John Seaman

Denise Claxton read her winning poem 'Panic on the train'. James Hulings also read his poem 'Dribbles and Bubbles.' One of the judges for the poetry competition was the world famous dub poet Jean Binta Breeze.

The organiser's of the night had gone to a lot of trouble to decorate the venue and even provided a buffet during the interval. They had been successful in getting a variety of businesses to donate the impressive array of prizes that were given out.

the raffle is drawn
Photo © Kevin Gaughan

Jim Smallman and Steve Huison draw the prizes for the raffle.

See part of the awards ceremony with Lydia Towsey introducing the Poem by Denise Claxton.

Leicester band Refuge launched their EP, 'Open Minds' today. It can be downloaded free from the band's web site.

For a full list of prize winners, visit the Refuge web site.

leicester band refuge on stage at the y
Photo © John Seaman

Refuge brought the show to a resounding and highly enjoyable close with their set of beautifully played songs. Lead by the characteristic voice of Peter Hirst, the six piece band delighted the audience with their artistic chemistry and fine playing.

refuge band on stage
Photo © John Seaman

Aided by the impressive sound system in the theatre, Refuge played an exceptionally good set of their own songs, including one containing the winning lyrics from the people who wrote them as part of the competition.

The songs were evocative and atmospheric, sumptuously orchestrated with flute, keyboard and saxophone parts by sessional musician Graham Dale who had joined them for this one gig.

Watch Refuge on stage at the Y

Another video of Refuge | Song 3 by Refuge

Thanks to Kevin Gaughan for taking this videos.

One of their songs 'Darkness and Light' from their Allowed a Voice album, with lyrics by Stewart Snowden, was about schizophrenia.

Peter Hirst's lead vocals were harmonised by backings from guitarist Philip Seaman. The band has a sensitivity of touch in their music and proved themselves to be an excellent ensemble.

There was a really good buzz from the audience throughout the show and the band's performance drew a strong and enthusiastic response from them. As an encore, the band played their song 'Cornered.'

album cover from refuge

See our review of the album by Refuge

Comedian Jim Smallman's web site.

Market Harborough's C:HAT

Based in Market Harborough, established in 2005, "The CHAT Room" was reconstituted in 2009 as a not for profit social enterprise. We do not seek funding from grants, instead we focus on selling our targeted projects; once our running costs are covered any additional funds enable our social educators to deliver our STOP, START and CONTINUE projects to young people locally for free.

At the C:HAT room we work with young people relationally - which means the quality of the relationship we build is critical to the outcome. It's about consistency and continuity and letting young people know that we care.

Our work is underpinned by the principles of restorative justice and using street based methodology, our team of social educators use an unique stop, start, continue technique to engage with young people and the significant people in their lives to support them in generating long term behaviour change; enhancing community cohesion and creating safer communities.

These processes allows young people to explore the issues, which affect their lives, creates a better understanding of their present and develop potential for their future.

chats giove a penny campaign

See our page looking at The Urban Zone - C:hat's workshops for young people.

Visit the C:hat web site

Contact details

The C:HAT Room.
A: 12 Quakers Yard. Market Harborough. Leicestershire. LE16 7LT
T: 01858 461617
E: shout at chatltd.com
W: www.chatltd.com

Other pages you might like:

The Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire directory of participatory arts

Arts and health

Business for the arts

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