Make Music, Make a Change!

Disability charities and clubs from across the county meet for a special music day in Exeter to celebrate an amazing project and to meet up and make new friends.

A special one-day event is coming to Exeter this December, as participants and organisations involved in the groundbreaking “Make Music, Make a Change” project come together to share what they’ve learned and make some new music!

The project, run by Devon-based charity Wren Music and funded by Arts Council England has been running throughout the Summer and Autumn and has seen musicians from Wren work across the county, with Northam Lodge in North Devon, The Block club in Exmouth, ROC creative in Torbay, plus sessions in both Okehampton and Exeter.

Groups of participants and staff in each location were brought together with volunteers from Wren folk orchestras to create new music and perform side-by-side. Concerts have taken place in locations ranging from beautiful old churches set high on the craggy North Devon coast, to outdoor public shows on the Exmouth bandstand.

Now all the different groups are joining forces in Exeter’s Southernhay Church Hall on Tuesday 12th Dec to spend the afternoon having a Make Music Celebration. Project leader David Faulkner says: ”we will be making a big band, creating new music together, learning skills, making new friends and having fun.”

As well as the fun and creative aspects of making music, the idea of the work has been to help to bridge the gap between adults with disabilities and the wider public, giving people a chance to meet up and develop stronger links in their communities.

Wren leader Nick Wyke says: “The Make Music programme has been brilliant in bringing together disability groups, Make Music groups, Wren Folk Orchestras and volunteers from all over Devon, and it’s been fantastic to see the response from participants, audiences and volunteers. It’s also been a great experience for those clients and service users, as they’ve had extra musical support in their sessions, allowing them to further their own skills in ways not usually possible with a single leader at the helm.”

The project has resulted in some incredible social outcomes too, as volunteers have met new challenges and participants have been able to see new people outside their day-to-day activities.

One Wren volunteer has recently secured a job working in the sector with disabled adults after her work on the programme: “The experience has been great and it's inspired me to want to work with SEN (Special Educational Needs) adults… without the experience I don't think I would have even first applied for or let alone been given a job offer yesterday to work alongside SEN adults…brilliant!!!”

And participants have also expressed their enjoyment at being able to meet new faces in their own communities. Tim, a service user in North Devon said: “It’s been really good, and having other people in helped me think about the tunes. I’m very proud of what I’ve achieved in music.”

The team at Wren is looking forward to bringing everyone together for this amazing experience. It really has been a fantastic way to encourage participants from all over Devon to get together and Make Music!