Rachel Whibley talks about the most impactful, empowering and important musical performances her company has ever created.
In the world of classical music, accessibility and inclusion lag far behind the advances made in the theatrical world. Its stuffy image of old people listening to old music in hushed silence is still prevalent. We wanted to turn this on its head and ensure that everyone can access world-class musical performances. Classical music performances for people with disabilities tend to be dumbed down, but we take the opposite approach: these children need the highest quality music experiences.
We have staged hundreds of professional orchestral performances, including school concerts and relaxed performances for children and adults with additional needs, but it became clear that there were many children who were never able to experience our performances. The sheer effort involved in taking children with severe physical and mental disabilities and often complex medical needs out of school, and a lack of confidence from school staff and parents to know how these children would react and cope in a strange environment, meant we could not reach them. So we realised we would have to take the performance to them. Our first smaller scale performance, Musical Beasts, featured an interactive performance of Peter and the Wolf, followed by a specially-created animated film of David Litchfield’s award-winning book, The Bear and the Piano, with the music played live by the musicians. The costumed performance of Peter and the Wolf was learnt and narrated from memory to remove any physical barriers, allowing the musicians to move freely among the children during the performance and include them in it. Every performance finishes with the musicians going among the children to meet them, providing an opportunity for the children to request songs, touch or play the instruments, and interact directly with the musicians, their costumes and their props. When it’s time to finish, the musicians lead everyone out of the hall to return to their classrooms, playing either an upbeat or tranquil melody depending on which is most appropriate in the moment.
We created supporting resources for schools to access before and after our visit to support and enrich the experience, including peer-teaching videos of children from a special school demonstrating the Makaton signs for the song, a visual story for the children to use before the performance, and dozens of differentiated activities based on the programme.
Perhaps the biggest surprises has been the effect our performances have had on the staff in the schools we have visited, as this was not our initial focus. They are often in tears and overwhelmed by the response from the children. The performance provided an environment in which the school community could all enjoy something together, and share later as they re-watched the show and continued to access the resources.
Our musicians were chosen not only for their superb talent and experience, but their empathy and willingness to do whatever it takes to engage with the audience, adapting in the moment to the needs and responses of the children in each performance. Amina Hussain (flute) says “You only have to be there to feel how special it is and what a deep and lasting impression it has on all of us“. Ben Hudson (bassoon): “These sessions (it feels wrong to call them simply performances, the audience are so involved) have given me some of the most moving and uplifting experiences in my life as a performer”. Naomi Atherton (French horn): “Playing in and among the children and responding to their reactions creates a unique performance every time. It’s joyful, emotional, enlightening and totally addictive. I can’t wait to do it all again!”. Ben Powell (piano): “The idea of performing Peter and the Wolf, in costume, with narration, while engaging with children with huge variety in their special educational needs was hugely daunting. Despite this initial trepidation, the project has turned into one of the most rewarding experiences of my professional life”
Daniel and I have first-hand experience of the many obstacles people with disabilities face to engage with music and music-making in a meaningful and impactful way, as our youngest son is severely disabled. His needs, and the sheer joy and engagement he displays when attending a performance that is pitched just right, continue to inspire and inform everything we do. We have staged hundreds of full orchestra and film performances, but Musical Beasts and the subsequent shows More Musical Beasts and Fantastic Fairy Tales are without doubt the most impactful, empowering and important performances we have ever created.