Chime- update on Theatre Royal Wakefield's 'music making for theatre' project

Chime - Music Making for Theatre has been active since September 2019, we're based at Theatre Royal Wakefield as part of the Learning and Participation Programme. We've been busy getting to know each other, running an October residency where we made a spooky inspired spoken word tale set to music and meeting every Tuesday evening in the Walker Studio at the theatre since January 2020. 

Chime is for young people with a learning disability aged 14-25, most young people come from within the Wakefield District and are passionate about the theatre and what goes on there. There's some amazing talent in the room with young people bringing drumming, brass and guitar skills to the mix. 

With Simon, our lead artist, we've learnt about minor and major keys, solos, duo's and breathing exercises. We’ve been working on how to project our voices and how to sing A cappella. We've learnt how to listen and how to support each other when creating music. Another of our artist's Matt, has brought his collection of djembe drums which has been fantastic for learning about timing and playing in a group.

When all of that had to stop in March, we carried on Chime sessions on Zoom, keeping connected, learning new songs and making our own videos from home with help from brilliant parents and carers. We hope to meet in August for the first time in real life, back in the Walker Studio and back in our wonderful theatre home.’

                                                                        -Maria Thelwell; Chime Project Manager