Adam Gellibrand
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It’s been a very busy year delivering some great music workshops for Wellspring again.
I delivered sessions for Springboard in Horsham, Manor Green College in Crawley, PACSO in Chichester, Chestnut Tree House near Arundel and Kingslea Primary School in Horsham! I also worked with a new group called ‘Making Some Noise for Mental Health’ based in Horsham. Kingslea Karaoke! It was great fun working at Kingslea School, running regular inclusive sessions there. The staff were really supportive and we were able to deliver lots of fun sessions that gave children with special educational needs the opportunity to perform songs alongside their peers. Kingslea is a mainstream school, but has many children who are registered with learning difficulties that greatly benefitted from the sessions. Here’s some lovely feedback from Patricia Barrett, Deputy Head at the school: ‘Every Friday at Kingslea, our lunchtime Karaoke sessions transformed into a spectacular celebration of music, creativity, and inclusion! Encouraging children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to engage. We saw an enthusiastic turnout from Year 2 to Year 6, with over 40 children participating throughout the term. The atmosphere was electric as some children took the stage to sing their hearts out, while others showcased their engineering talents, supporting with sound and mixing. It’s truly heart warming to witness those who typically shy away from the spotlight stepping boldly forward to join in and take part. Our sessions welcomed children with diverse needs, including those with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), complex Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs, as well as various learning difficulties’. Big fun with PACSO! A year of workshops wouldn’t be the same without some great summer sessions at PACSO! Their summer playscheme is always buzzing with excitement and the PACSO team are just brilliant at giving young disabled children great opportunities. I delivered some fantastic drumming workshops with the Brazilian instruments! The children just know what to do instinctively when they join a group drumming session. Very loud, great rhythms, inclusion and creativity in abundance! The PACSO crew also came up to QM Studios to enjoy a day of recording, playing instruments, Djing and singing in a professional studio. Some more positive feedback below from Mia Day, Play Lead at PACSO: “Thank you so much for the drumming sessions you provided over the summer. Everyone really enjoyed joining in and it was wonderful to see their excitement and focus. Your energy, creativity, and adaptability made the sessions engaging for everyone. We really appreciate the positive impact you bring each time. Having you coming in and supporting with these sessions, you were able to provide a positive, inclusive and an accessible experience to 58 children and young people.” Making Some Noise for Mental Health! An inspiring charity based in Horsham that supports vulnerable young people, many of which are neurodiverse and have learning difficulties. The charity focuses on mental health and wellbeing, and gives some great support and opportunities to young people. Jess Clarke started the charity and is an inspiring lady, who has real respect from her group, some of which have been through some very difficult times. Making Some Noise came down to QM Studios for some great inclusive music making! We had young people jamming with guitars, drums and other instruments, making the most of a safe and suitable environment to just get creative. I had some great support delivering the sessions from Rob Adams and Ryan Spencer. We made sure the group felt relaxed and were able to make the most musically from the sessions. Jess had some kind words to say about the sessions: “Thank you so much for a great evening, the group are buzzing and can’t wait to come back. A couple of the group have hardly left their houses, for a while, so this was a big milestone for them. The environment and support from yourself, Rob and Ryan really made everyone feel welcome and accepted.” DJs at Springboard It’s always a pleasure to work with Springboard and this summer we were invited along to their summer party. I supported some DJs to play at the party and their set went down a storm! It’s great to give proper performance opportunities to DJs with disabilities and the Springboard party was ideal. There were many young people enjoying the tunes that the DJs were playing; they included children with special needs and their siblings all enjoying the party together. It was a real privilege to support the event and heart warming to see everyone having a great time! Wheely Wonders In July I spent the afternoon at Applefield, providing a drumming session for 11 children. Lizzie said “It was absolutely fantastic to see everyone being able to join in. Some of the children used the drums from their wheelchairs with support from parents. Adam was so kind, taking instruments to a quiet area for one of the girls to try as she found the loud noises upsetting. Once Adam had provided her with ear defenders to wear under her sun hat, she was confident to join the drumming circle which was so special to see.” Chestnut Tree House In August, myself, Rob and DJ Scratchy were invited down to Chestnut Tree House to run an awesome inclusive electronic music session with the young people there and their siblings. We set up a karaoke booth, DJ decks, electronic percussion and lots of other electronic music making instruments. The session was well received with 16 young people enjoying themselves. I always try and give 100% to these workshops, making sure the attendees get hands on experience with professional kit and get the chance to do something they would not have the opportunity to usually do. DJ Scratchy! I’ve had a lot of support with the Wellspring workshops from the one and only DJ Scratchy aka Ryan Spencer. Ryan is always willing to help with anything musical and he helped me with the PACSO sessions, Springboard, Chestnut Tree House and Making Some Noise. Ryan is a valuable part of the team and I’m pleased to say that Wellspring was able to gift Ryan a laptop so he can assist with more workshops! So a big thank you to Wellspring, The National Lottery (Awards4All) and all the organisations and children that have been part of a busy, creative and most importantly inclusive season of music workshops! Adam Gellibrand Email: [email protected] |
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