Community

Community music has been at the heart of my work for more than twenty years and has shaped the way I think about creativity, collaboration and the role of music in everyday life. During that time I’ve worked with people of all ages, in places as varied as schools, village halls, theatres, forests, libraries, arts centres and community spaces, creating opportunities for people to make music together in ways that are imaginative, ambitious and genuinely collaborative.

No two projects are ever the same because every community brings its own stories, strengths and ways of seeing the world. Sometimes the work lasts for a single afternoon, sometimes it develops over months or even years, but it always begins by listening. Rather than arriving with a finished idea, I prefer to spend time getting to know the people and the place, allowing the project to evolve through conversation, experimentation and shared ownership.

Over the years I’ve worked with choirs, schools, youth groups, older people, families, musicians, artists, researchers and communities across the UK, often bringing together people who might not otherwise have met. Many of these projects have resulted in performances, exhibitions, recordings, festivals or new musical works, but for me the creative process itself is just as important as the finished outcome.

The photographs and projects below offer a glimpse into that work. Each tells a different story, but together they reflect a belief that music has the power to bring people together, strengthen our connection to place and create sustainable legacies and immersive experiences that stay with us long after the final note has died away.