We have a proven track record in curating high-quality public events showcasing the creativity of people living with dementia. All our events feature new music that has been co-created with people living with dementia.
So Many Beauties Festival hosted by The Bridgewater Hall was the first event of its kind in the UK and brought together amateur, student and professional musicians, researchers, dementia related organisations and people living with dementia and their carers and families. It was delivered in collaboration with Music in Hospitals and Care, Manchester Camerata. RNCM and Bridgewater Hall.
Watch a film of this “thoroughly enjoyable fantastic” festival here.
So Many Beauties Diversity and Dementia Project took place during the pandemic. We established a new So Many Beauties Collective of musicians from different ethnic backgrounds who met on zoom to learn about approaches to co-creativity and to devise new music. We then worked with isolated older people most impacted by the pandemic and NHS frontline staff, engaging them in a series of online workshops which were delivered in conjunction with Sound Up Arts and Lime.
We co-created a beautiful programme of music and poetry performed by the So Many Beauties Collective which was live-streamed from the Contact Theatre as part of South Asian Heritage Month. You can watch this performance here.
The Songbook with Shared Harmonies CIC
We worked with Shared Harmonies on a 12 month project exploring how singing groups for people living with dementia could become more ethnically inclusive. We also interviewed organisations and individuals about the barriers and enablers for people to access culturally appropriate dementia support. The project was generously funded by the Paul and Nick Harvey Fund and resulted in the production of a Song Book (collection of music, ideas and links) and a Practitioner Guide for people interested in setting up singing for wellbeing groups.
So Many Beauties with LIME
We worked with pioneering arts and health organisation Lime to deliver a new Adult Arts Programme at Manchester Royal Infirmary. Collaborating with leading Indian dance artist Dr Swati Raut and members of Manchester’s Camerata orchestra we brought music and creativity to the hospital wards.
So Many Beauties Oratorio premiered at Manchester Cathedral in 2017. We worked with over 100 people living with dementia in care homes and hospitals across the North West to create this new, large-scale choral piece. The project culminated in a joyous sold-out performance and represented the start of the So Many Beauties journey.
creative music making with diverse communities 