In the works...

Ongoing projects

The Buddy Beat

- is a social inclusion project for mental health service users in Renfrewshire. Workshops take place every Thursday at Paisley Arts Centre, from 10-12. In addition to the regular workshops, group members who wish can take part in performances at local and national events, and community workshops. This year, we piloted a course where group members learned how to assist in leading workshops in wider sections of the community, and hope to follow this up with sustained practical involvement. There's an extremely well-written article here in OT News that looks at the group from the occupational therapy perspective.

We're now entering our 4th year...

Workshops continue at the State Hospital, Carstairs, emphasising the cooperative, social and communicative aspects of working together.

There's a Singing for the Brain choir in the offing, in partnership with NHS Renfrewshire occupational therapy services, and Alzheimer Scotland.

And a community mental health drumming group is in the process of being set up in collaboration with NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde Occupational Therapy services.

2010 - part 2!

Well, it's August already - here's what's in the pipeline for the rest of the year…

August

2nd - Open public community drum circle, in conjunction with the Buddy Beat, 7-9pm, WRVS cafe, Causeyside Street, Paisley. All welcome.

3rd - Back at the Cranhill Community Project for a morning's drumming

13th - Providing a training session for new musicians at the Polyphony music project, about working with older adults with dementia.

27th-30th - Back at the Greenbelt festival for drumming, singing, and miscellanea with the Wild Goose Resource Group and the Iona Community.

September
9th-10th - Scottish Association of Music Educators Conference 2010

18th - Conference energiser and workshops for the Bipolar Scotland annual conference in Glasgow, with the Buddy Beat.

19th - West meets East event, Rutherglen town hall. An afternoon of workshops for an event for carers hosted by the International Women's group of the Princess Royal Trust Lanarkshire Carers group.

23rd - Conference energiser, workshop, and impromptu delegate performance for the 'Paths for All' national networking event, Perth Concert Hall.

October
5th - 10th - Returning to Dortmund University to present at the 'Europa In-Takt' conference on music and special needs.

11th - 21st - a whole plethora of events for the Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film festival programme in Renfrewshire, with the Buddy Beat. More soon!

22nd - 28th Mentoring at the UK Facilitator's Playshop with Arthur Hull. With support from the Creative Scotland YMI Professional Development fund.

2010 one-off events...

May
15th - 'Casting the Net' - drumming workshops for diocesan gathering of the Episcopal church, Perth.

17th - 21st - Music in Health Settings, Paris - final week of the EU Leonardo Da Vinci funded training project, in collaboration with the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester, and Musique et Sante, Paris. Bringing music to neonatology and paediatric oncology wards.

June
3 weeks in Texas! Including the MoPAM conference, 2010, and two weeks of community music workshops in Bryan, and Kerrville. That's June pretty much sorted!


July
4th - Rhythms of life: Drumming for personal and community empowerment
10am-4pm, Salisbury Centre, Edinburgh
Cost: £30 (£20 conc)

A day to explore your rhythm, even if you don't have any! A day where we will journey together to find our personal rhythms, and explore how these can be interwoven in a musical community where everyone’s contribution is valid, no matter how small.

An intriguing variety of world drums and percussion instruments will be provided for you to explore; from the ever-popular djembe, to the subtle and evocative tones of the Swiss ‘Hang’.

Any level of experience is welcome, whether you are coming to drumming for the first time, or seeking ideas for the enabling of others.

Bookings: 0131 667 5438 Web: The Salisbury Centre

7th July - 'Wild in the City' - an afternoon of drumming workshops in Drumchapel Park for a family environmental/outdoor awareness event run by Glasgow City Council.

13th July - Workshops for the 'Out of the Box' project, Cranhill.

14th July - 'Wild in the City' - this time in Govanhill park.

2010 projects so far...

The Buddy Beat
Is still going strong in our third year! Set up in collaboration with Renfrewshire NHS Occupational Therapy services, Buddy Beat is a weekly community drumming group for mental health service users. There is no pressure to perform, however, the group are in increasing demand for gigs and conferences, most recently at the Scottish Government sponsored conference for Allied Health Partnerships, 'Collaborating for Change', where they got a 200-strong audience all playing rhythm together with boomwhacker percussion tubes! One group member noted that this was the first time she had ever received applause for something and; 'It felt great - I'd like to do that again!'.

Having been awarded a grant from the NHS 'bright ideas' fund, we have successfully piloted a training course with group members and occupational therapists, which will enable them to either lead, or assist in leading simple percussion workshops.

We now also host an ongoing community drum circle on the first Monday of the month in Paisley, which is open to all.


Rowanbank Clinic, Stobhill Hospital, Glasgow
This eight week project took place with patients in a medium-secure unit, working on drumming and group interaction skills.

Music Together - Gartnavel Royal Hospital
In collaboration with Polyphony music project, this series of sessions aims to develop ways of working with people with dementia and their carers and visitors, across two wards in the hospital.

The State Hospital, Carstairs
Working with occupational therapy services to engage patients. Because of the accessible, cooperative and social nature of rhythm work, it can enable non-threatening communicative behaviour to take place where verbal communication may be difficult or problematic.

Flexi-Care, Renfrewshire
A series of workshops with young people on the autistic spectrum, and adult groups with additional support needs. Supported by the Buddy Beat.

Maxwellton School, East Kilbride
Pupil and staff training workshops in the wonders of boomwhackers...

High Mil and Victoria Park Schools, Carluke
Integration project bringing pupils together from additional support needs and mainstream schools

Edinburgh Harp Festival
'Come and Try' world percussion course, and community drum circle.

My PhD
Is now fully written up, and awaiting examination...