“Music and Culture puts us on the map!”
The project will bring together a complete cross section of the PyC area in an ambitious collaborative high-tech project to conceive, perform and deliver, a high-end recording of ten new compositions, showcasing our shared heritage in the new cutting-edge audio format, Dolby Atmos.
Not only will this project work with 10 ensembles across the fund area from male voice choirs to new women’s choirs and Welsh language groups but it will provide work placement and mentoring as well as CV references for a minimum of 40 creative industries students from across the Pen y Cymoedd Area, in a cutting-edge field.
Over the course of 12 months the ‘Our Space – Ein Lle Ni’ project will include:
• 10 ensembles spread across the area, with member numbers ranging from ten to nearer a hundred will take part in performing and recording a piece each, specifically written for and about them and their local area. Each group will get 4 training sessions, explaining how to prepare and rehearse for an immersive recoding, as well as one recording session in a venue that means something to them and the community, they live in.
• 40 community-based creative writing workshops across the area
• 40 Creative industries students from the area will be given work experience, mentoring and professional references in a cutting-edge high-end field.
At the end of the project, there will be ‘Premiere’ events bringing together the participants to celebrate their achievements.
“As well as obvious benefit to the ensembles, attendees of workshops and college students there is real potential that the ‘Our Space – Ein Lle Ni’ recordings will enable them to create more high-end jobs locally, recruiting some of the students they have mentored, as well as continuing to use some of the ensembles/musicians. This project will bring benefits under multiple PyC priorities: education and training / skills development / jobs and the economy / supporting culture and creative industries and the extent of their engagement and consultation means there is a real buzz from communities and groups for the potential of this project.” – Kate Breeze, Executive Director, Pen y Cymoedd Wind Farm Community Fund
The funding will cover marketing, equipment, events and salaries and sessional costs for 4 amazing creative professionals living and working in the valley.
“We feel so privileged and excited that PyC have supported this ground-breaking project, and we can’t wait to tap into the wealth of creativity and talent this area has to offer” – Jon and Sylvia
“What we are really excited by is it will enable us to take our students to industry professionals in a professional setting and see our students receiving hands-on work experience and creative collaboration in a professional environment and setting” – Jaye Adrienne Lawrence, Head of Performing Arts, Coleg Y Cymoedd
“This opportunity will provide work-based experiences for our Level 3 music and media students in the field of immersive audio. We hope that collaborating in this way will also inspire future development in facilities and program delivery at the college and open a wider range of progression routes for our college leavers” – Phil Broome, Coleg Castell-Nedd/Neath College
“We at Ladies of the lake would really like to take part in this project and done so for some time. We believe this project would benefit our choir group by giving us the confidence, opportunities to learn new skills and platform to show our love for singing together as a new group.”