2017

Music to ring out!

We are excited to announce that we have received the backing of the National Foundation for Youth Music with a 3 year grant which will bring musical activity to schools and community spaces across the High Peak.

Youth Arts Programme Manager, Sophie Mackreth says “We are so happy to have won this grant, which will fund music at the heart of our whole youth programme, from early years to open workshops for age 8+ and new partnerships with some of our local High Schools.” Young people should look out for local music workshops from Easter and a chance to take part in an annual Summer School which will produce a performing arts show for the general public. Young participants can also submit their work for a national Arts Award and join the steering group that plans future projects.

Our next job is to sit down with the steering group and choose material for the coming year – and to raise funds for any non-musical artforms we want to use! There’s never a rest from grant writing!

AGM 2017

High Peak Community Arts AGM 2017

On Tuesday November 28th 2017, we held our AGM at the Providence URC Church in New Mills. The turnout was fantastic, and the evening enhanced by a wonderful performance by the Amarone Ensemble. Made up of a trio of talented musicians, all who currently play for the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, the Ensemble treated our audience to spine tingling renditions of a number of musical pieces by composers including Handel, Elgar and Bach.

We circulated our latest annual report at the meeting. The report contains information about everything that the team has been up to from April 2016- March 2017. So much has happened – including canal boat art, lavendar and wool weaving and ceramic birdbath creations with Project eARTh; the Write to Roam and Young Writers Camp; the For The Love of Books early years learning programme; and the first year of our new partnership with Glossopdale Community College, Buxton Community School and Chapel-en- le-Frith Pupil Referral Unit via the Music Arts Pod project. It’s been a busy year, with the continuation of past projects and the start of many new ones. Huge thanks to our funders and supporters, without whom we would not be able to use the arts as a tool for positive change in local peoples lives.

Do have a read of our latest report, if you have time, and please let us know your thoughts!

Children & Young People Now Awards!

On 22nd November Sophie hit London with Film Cuts Club leaders, Mark & Benn Turton.

We had a grand day out as finalists for the Arts & Culture Award. Which was a fantastic achievement, in a shortlist of only 4 organisations from across the country, including Great Ormond Street Hospital, Rhythmix who cover South West England and Curious Minds, who are the Arts Council ‘Bridge Organisation’ for North West England.

We didn’t win, but we met some lovely people working hard for young people all around the country. It was just brilliant to be part of the Children and Young People Now year of 2017, and it’s so valuable for small charities like us to be considered on a level playing field with the big regional and national organisations. We enjoyed meeting some of the other nominees in our category and swapping notes.

Curious Minds won the Arts and Culture Award for all their work across the North West, and we had a great chat with Rhythmix from the South East who won the Mental Health and Wellbeing Award!

Children and Young People Now is the leading national magazine for professionals working in the sector and they launched the awards in 2006.

The Children & Young People Now Awards have become the gold standard for everyone working with children, young people and families. They provide a great source of pride and recognition for all those who strive day in, day out, to improve the lives of others. They offer an opportunity to raise the profile of projects and initiatives to funders and the general public.

And they present a tremendous showcase of learning and best practice from across the country that can be an inspiration to all. The awards recognise initiatives from the public, private and voluntary sector that work with children and young people from birth to adolescence as well as their families.

Musical Evening Sneaky Peak!

A sneak peak at some of the musical programme for our Musical evening

Performed especially for HPCA by The Amarone Ensemble.

For High Peak Arts AGM on Nov 28th!

Victoria Daniel – Flute

Karen Mainwaring – Violin

Rebecca Aldersea – Cello

Bach – Polonaise, Minuet & Badinerie from Orchestral Suite No.3 in D Major

Elgar – Chanson de Matin

Handel – Hornpipe from The Water Music

Delibes – Flower Duet from Lakme

The Amarone Ensemble was formed by members of the BBC Philharmonic in 2011. They perform regularly on BBC Radio 3 and BBC television, as well as touring internationally and appearing at festivals all over the UK, including the BBC Proms.

Combining busy careers as professional musicians and parents, the Trio are passionate about performing music in a variety of community settings and engaging and inspiring children through bespoke project work delivered directly into schools.

High Peak Arts Workshops

We offer a wide range of workshops for community groups here at High Peak Community Arts. Have a browse through our navigation bar for more details. Here are just a few examples of our creative explorations!

Public performance of Headz!

Inside every HEAD lies a secret, a story waiting to unravel…

In October, Award-winning theatre company 20 Stories High presented HEADZ, a series of contemporary urban stories written by Keith Saha and performed by 20 Stories High Young Actors Company.

Inspired by real stories and offering an insight into the lives of young people growing up in 21st Century Britain, HEADZ is made up of three gritty, challenging and humorous contemporary urban stories that don’t pull any punches.

“…an almost perfect balance of intense, heart rending moments and well timed wit… HEADZ is a thought provoking night with a difference and one that stays with you…”
What’s On Stage ****

The HEADZ monologue series was first performed in the Studio at The Playhouse, Liverpool in 2014. The Autumn 2017 tour will take HEADZ to a range of non-theatre spaces and contains three stories: FARM, WEED and DATES.

Suitable for age 13 plus.

Music and Video from Music Arts Pod

And here is our Youtube playlist – click the menu arrow on the top left to chose a film.

Enchanted films from the Magic Market

As the audience were lead down to the Enchanted Gathering they had the chance to visit the Magical Market, with a few clues to the stories of the forest…

And one from Kieran & Austin:

An Evening With… High Peak Community Arts

What a great evening! Thank you to so many of you for coming along and supporting our work. We hope you enjoyed the poetry, singing, displays, drinks, nibbles and the raffle! Thank you also for those who became ‘Friends of High Peak Community Arts’ on the night. You can still do so by using the blue donate button just at the side of this page! We appreciate the support of our community to continue our valuable work.

A DATE FOR YOUR DIARY!

DON’T MISS….

Wednesday 13th September 2017, 7 – 9pm, New Mills Town Hall.

Come and be inspired by the work of High Peak Community Arts and celebrate the launch of the new ‘Friends of High Peak Community Arts’ scheme. Hear more about our Friends scheme (with membership starting from just £2 per month), see our participants’ work, listen to music, drink wine, eat cheese, win some fantastic artwork in our raffle, and be captivated by the poetry of our special guest, the renowned Derbyshire poet (and ex-Derbyshire Poet Laureate) Helen Mort.

Described by Carol Ann Duffy as “among the brightest stars in the sparkling constellation of young British poets”, we are delighted to announce that Helen Mort is now one of High Peak Community Arts’ Ambassadors. Helen will be reading extracts from her writing during the evening.

“As a Derbyshire writer inspired by the county’s varied landscape and rich heritage, I admire and value the work charities like High Peak Arts do to make people aware of how art and place intersect and to support local artists. The High Peak is a rare, unique part of the world and it will always be at the heart of my poetry. We need to celebrate Derbyshire’s artistic life however we can.” (Helen Mort)

The evening will also involve a silent auction of captivating work by a range of talented High Peak artists.

Do hope you can join us for what will be a very special evening.

This event is FREE and is being presented as part of the New Mills Festival 2017.

For more details, please contact Caroline at caroline@highpeakarts.org or on 01663 74516.

Do hope to see you there!