Friends, Song & Chat

 

📍 St. Chad’s Church, 1 Hazeldine Road, New Moston, M40 3GL

💚 A £2+ donation helps keep our community groups running.

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A North Manchester community group for well-being using music, sounds, movement, creativity, nature & local history. Everyone is welcome.

 

 

Through interactive participation, singing, vocal sounds, body and movement we connect with energies in nature, ourselves and the present moment.

All participants are welcome to join in and take part in their own. There is no pressure to participate, feel free to sit and listen. Being in the space is meaningful participation.

 

Tuning In is a monthly participatory session inspired by Moston Brook & Rochdale Canal. We meet at St Chads Church, New Moston on the last Friday of the month. Sessions start at 12pm and finish at 2pm, we have a break halfway through for a chat and tea & biscuits.

There is an optional contribution of £2 or what you feel towards tea and room hire.

If you feel inspired there are exercises you can do on YouTube or you could go on the walking route that accompanies each session.

Creativity with nature

Creativity with movement

• From what the group notice in the films and photos of local nature, we then create a movement to take this into our body

Creativity with sounds

• From what the group notice in the films and photos of local nature we then create sounds to take this into the voice. This type of sounding is very freeing for the voice.

Creative group poem writing

• From whatever comes up for the group or our theme or what they notice in the films and photos of local nature, we create a group poem

Creative group lyric and song writing

• From whatever comes up for the group or our theme or what they notice in the films and photos of local nature, we create new song lyrics to a known tune. At other times we create a completely new song. For example, a song about the navvies who built the canals

Here’s what people say about it

Two ladies who have not seen each other since they used to work together 34 years ago. They were reunited at today’s event getting to catch up and socialise with their peers and local residents. They said they had had the most lovely afternoon. And had so much fun reconnecting.

 

 

The benefits of attending the group are

Warmups. The benefits include:

• Gentle movement to get the body warmed up, easing joint pain and improving circulation
• Being present in your body and having body awareness and connection
• Connecting movement and imagination through the chosen theme of the session. For example: Spring; Birds; Bloom.

Vocal exercises and sound work. The benefits include:

• Care of the voice by encouraging gentle daily warmups
• Loosening and warming the voice
• Improving flexibility and health in the voice
• Improving listening skills and expression
• Shared vocal sounding as a group
• Strengthening community and belonging

Group Conversation and Reminiscences. The benefits include:

• Group conversation inspired by the theme to create a sense of community, belonging connection and pride in the local area
• Shared reminiscences improving memory function
• Continued moments throughout the session for people to share their thoughts and ideas encouraging participation, where people feel comfortable
• A moment and space to express thoughts on national events and share feelings
• Friendship and chat reducing isolation and loneliness

Group percussion playing to stimulate. The benefits include:

• Improved coordination
• Improved cognition  
• Improved memory function using musical patterns
• Expression of feelings, thoughts , body and voice through performance
• The release of the feel-good hormone oxytocin through the physicality of playing
• Expressing live music vibrations is beneficial to the mind and body.
• Creating own improvised rhythms
• Fun and joy

Creative group song lyric writing and performing. The benefits include:

• Using creative brain
• Improving the ability to be in and with the unknown
• Being completely open, relaxed and exploring as a group without judgement
• Exploring creative ideas in, meaningful, safe space
• A great sense of achievement
• Singing together creating a meaningful experience that is uplifting, expressive and gets the body and lungs working

Group singing of known songs. The benefits include:

• Memory and meaningful and personal expression and connection
• Sharing, singing and listening to music of different generations further improving memory function
• The songs are connected to the theme of each session
• Exploring thoughts and feelings evoked by the songs
• The shared joy of singing together
• Improved well-being from the effects of singing
• The physical benefits of singing

Connection to the local natural environment. The benefits include:

• A walking route the group may do independently
• Feeling a sense of connection to the nature and seasons

A selection of photographs shared with the group to inspire the sessions

Creating, listening to and reflecting on poetry. The benefits include:

• Local connection. Reciting Poems connected to the nature on Moston Brook & Rochdale canal
• Poems to explore different aspects of the theme of the session
• The opportunity for group members to read poems out if they wish

Timings of each activity 

The session is timed so each activity gently stimulates a different sense and part of the mind and body. The goal is to not overwork participants but gently hold and guide them through an active, participatory and creative process.

Each segment of the workshop is explained as to how it may benefit the individuals and group, and also how people may feel when doing it, and my role in leading it. 

 

The atmosphere 

The sessions are designed to be relaxing, fun, engaging, expressive and uplifting. I say to the group at the start that they do not have to participate in any way, there is no pressure. Everything is completely optional and people may move around the room freely. Most of all we are looking to create a relaxed, informal and experimental atmosphere that everyone enjoys and benefits from improved health and wellbeing.