One of the most culturally diverse cities in the UK will play host to a musical expression of contemporary, British society through the musical heritage and skills of the young people that call it home.
My Music, My Manchester joins aspiring, young musicians from the city’s communities with performers at the pinnacle of their profession, all led by renowned musician and cultural activist, Meklit, to develop a performance that reveals ‘the voice of Manchester’ in music, film and digital art. Celebrating the constantly evolving musical heart of a nation and a city, a Manchester ‘song cycle’ will be performed for FREE on Sun 30 October 2016 at the BBC Philharmonic Studio, Salford.
From Portuguese to Polish and Tamil to Turkish, research shows that Manchester is home to speakers of up to 200 international languages, a rich diversity that not only ensures the exciting city is one of the UK’s most visited, but also hides a vast array of musical histories, abilities and ambitions amongst its young population.
In starting to reveal the skills and ambitions of young people from all backgrounds, Manchester’s My Hub: Manchester Music Hub has developed My Music, My Manchester with the support and participation of its leading musical organisations including Brighter Sound and Manchester Camerata.
For a week of ideas and experience sharing, 32 young people aged 13 – 18 will develop a high quality, innovative ‘song cycle’ performance that begins to paint an aural picture of where Manchester, if not the UK, is today in the composition of its population.
Assisting them will be musicians and facilitators from MyHub partners, Brighter Sound, Manchester Camerata, Music Action International, Z-Arts, One Education, the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM), and the BBC Philharmonic, in addition to Meklit herself, providing young people with the opportunity to develop both this work and ideas for their own musical futures, in meaningful collaboration with professional musicians.
For their final performance, members of both BBC Philharmonic and Manchester Camerata will join the young people, providing a rare opportunity for aspiring artists to sit side-by-side with musicians from the country’s most prestigious conservatoires. The experience will be augmented by digital projection and a documentary film curated by Video Jam.
