Sing Out! A celebration of inclusive music-making.

On Saturday 6th July we’re holding Sing Out!, a celebration of inclusive music making with a focus on the work we do with young people. And we’ve invited a whole bunch of amazing friends, old and new, to join us.

Taking place at the Theatre, Film and Television Department at the University of York we’ll be putting on over two hours of fabulous music. Joining our IMPs (Inclusive Music Project) and Hands & Voices choir will be a whole host of performers including The Sparkle Sistaz, Castaway Sloop Group, Orange Box Choir and Copmanthorpe Community Choir.

The Sparkle Sistaz are an all-girl gutsy pop band who formed in 2013 at Under the Stars – a charity for adults with learning disabilities and autism based in Sheffield. They write and perform fun, feisty songs about things that matter to them like being a woman, partying, football and..... ‘The Full Monty’!  Their tunes are so incredibly catchy, you’ll find it hard to choose a favourite, and we guarantee they’ll get you singing along.

The Sloop Group are another youth music group who meet weekly at Castaway Goole to compose original music, develop instrumental skills and establish their own musical identities. They work towards recording and performance opportunities each term as well as delivering music workshops in the community. Wherever possible, the Sloop Group takes part in regional and national events promoting quality music making. Its members range from aged 10 to 25, similar to our IMPs group.

Orange Box Choir is a singing for well-being group made up of young people, volunteers and support staff from schools and services across West Yorkshire. It provides young people with the necessary support and resources to build confidence, and to develop relationships and skill sets. Some of the young people in the group have never sung before and some also have additional needs. The choir tell us that taking part in Orange Box is a huge confidence boost and creates a positive experience in an environment in which they feel safe. They also go out into the community to perform and support local charities and events.

And many of you will already know the Copmanthorpe Community Choir from our Hands & Voices and IMPs joint performances with them, so we’re thrilled to be performing with them for the third time. The choir are a local community-based choir with a wide range of performers from across the generations. They perform a mix of old and contemporary songs and bring along their own band who accompany them. We’ve loved getting to perform with them and the live music they provide.

Due to the capacity of the venue, the gig is by invite only but we would love you to join us online on Saturday 6th July from 1:45pm. We’ll be live on both Facebook and Instagram so everyone can join us as we celebrate inclusive music making together.

All you need to do is make sure you follow us on Facebook and/or Instagram and are online from 1:45pm. Both Facebook and Instagram will alert you that we’re live so you can join the performance too. We hope you can join us online to celebrate with us, do drop us a message and let us know you’re watching!