Talent Development Partner 2017: Heart n Soul
For:
Heart n Soul Talent Development Programme
Heart n Soul believes in the talents and power of people with learning disabilities. Their vision is of a more creative, fun, equal and open world for everyone. Heart n Soul discover, nurture and showcase the musical creativity of people with learning disabilities. They share new work across specialist and mainstream platforms.
PRS Foundation’s Talent Development Partner funding supports year-round activities for music creators with learning disabilities wanting to develop their musical, composition and songwriting talents. This work will span across many music genres including alternative/indie, electronic, pop, hip hop, R&B/soul, jazz, rock, classical, spoken word and ‘future music’ emerging from the fusion of new ideas and collaborations.
Heart n Soul provide access to digital music-making technology, and support music creators in experimenting with new software and hardware.
At the heart of the Expandable programme is a commitment to uncovering and nurturing the aspirations of music creators with learning disabilities and providing the right environment in which their creativity can flourish. The organisation offer bespoke talent development opportunities which directly respond to music creators’ interests and needs, ensuring that creative ownership rests in their hands.
Heart n Soul bring together music creators with and without learning disabilities in an open-ended collaborative process which supports the development of original, high quality music and the growth of professional networks. New music is showcased in inclusive and mainstream settings. They provide opportunities for music creators to interact with other art forms such as film, design and live art which extends their horizons and sparks new ideas.
Artists include young digital band Electric Fire. Using digital technology, the band has created an original blend of neon-future-funk, hip hop and house. They have headlined at Young DaDa Fest hosted by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic in Liverpool and performed new digital music made in collaboration with LSO players at LSO St Luke’s.