NOTE: This piece is more about community arts and how it is conceived and delivered, than it is about the music delivery itself.
The Farset Project was a singing project I facilitated with a group of women called Women United. It was an initial project of 8 weeks. In that time we wrote an original song, based on stories & anecdotes the women shared. I wrote a cello part which was recorded and performed by Ulster Orchestra Cellist, Siân Hetherington, and we worked alongside an Electronic Music Producer, Marty Byrne who wrote an stonking good backing track and ultimately recorded singers and cellist on site at The Cultúrlann, Falls Road Belfast. The women performed live with Cellist Sian Hetherington to a large audience at City Hall, Belfast. Not a bad project’s work, all in all.
I wish the words ‘cross community’ didn’t come up as often as they do when talking about project work, but this is Belfast. It is part of things here. And the truth is that in communities that have been left behind, where educational, economic and social disadvantage are greatest, the term ‘cross- community’ has greatest meaning. Because it is real there; suspicion of ‘The Other’ is real. ‘The Other’ is evolving too. As our communities slowly grow more diverse, differences within them are not confined to two tribes, but extend to people who have come here seeking refuge, wanting to settle and build a new life. Suspicion is unsurprisingly strongest in areas where there is least to go around. The situation can be easily exploited for political gain.
Anyway, the point is that ‘cross community’ is still a requisite term, and The Farset Project was cross community. The singing element was actually a small part of a much wider project. And that singing part, though not without challenges, was very successful. I take my work seriously and I want everything I do to be the best it can. The work should give unique, meaningful experience to the participants, and good value to the funders, (the good ones will see it and seek to build on it; i.e. fund more).
But here’s the thing. The primary reason this project worked had nothing to do with me. I suspect that under different circumstances it wouldn’t have been half as successful, and that too would have had nothing to do with me. Allow me a little back-story by way of explanation.
*Ahem*
The group I worked with were called Women United. They are split almost exactly between the Protestant tradition and Catholic tradition. When they came together in the room on the first night I saw them they embraced each other, talked (very openly!) about their last big night out together, their families, their sexuality, their upcoming operations, birthdays & wedding anniversaries. All while I flitted around half smiling at them pretending to do important things with instruments and generally bricking it. I hadn’t even said my name.
I eventually did a gibbering intro of sorts and we started to learn more about each other. I learned that their familiar way with each other wasn’t always so. These women had been thrown together 10 years previously when another well meaning government led project thought that certain people were not looking after themselves very well and needed to engage in physical activity. These people, in this instance, had to be women. And they had to come from both communities in the city. IN EXACTLY EVEN NUMBERS. They had stayed within their groups for the first few weeks barely acknowledging each other. Slowly though, they started to talk and found that a filthy sense of humour was something they shared, (They shared, ALOT). Gym sessions were sacked off for pub sessions and they learned that every one of them had been affected not just by the divisions in their city, but by life and the fact that it doesn’t discriminate when doling out pain. Shared experience was a binding force between them and allowed them to grow towards each other.
This story is not soundtracked by a tiny French violin. The women range in age from 40s to 70s and they have, and are, much better craic than I am. The genuine affection they have for each other is obvious. These women are made of strong, and they look after each other.
…..Now add singing into the mix. It’s something they’ve done repeatedly on nights out. Never ‘for a audience, but!’. If you’re reading this out of even a passing interest in music/community arts, you’ve probably heard or read something about the various benefits of singing, especially group singing. If not, suffice to say it has proven mental and physical health benefits, (links below).
People generally enjoy it. The women in my group were of varying ability. Some had clearly sung a bit before, others had not. There were some technical issues with pitching, rhythm etc, all of which we could work together to improve. Here’s why we could do that.
The women got on board because they knew and trusted each other and they reckoned I was alright.
They were worried about singing for outsiders, but not at all for each other. They took some convincing that the whole things was a worthwhile venture but once on board, they worked their asses off, for themselves and each other. Seriously.
Imagine how it would have panned out if I was running the first project they met on 10 years ago. If I had to convince women already unsure and somewhat suspicious of each other that we were gonna come together and write this song about ourselves and the city and it was all gonna be great. I’m pretty sure no-one would have shown up for the second session. Singing in that context is a risky choice, because singing is, at best, emotional and it requires genuine feeling and connection.
singupfoundation.org/singing-health
roisin whyte 