Community Arts in the High Peak
Catch the Best new Bands in Buxton, this Saturday 24 Feb
The line-up’s been announced of 6 incredible bands, performing ahead of Illuminate Buxton, a massive lightshow coming to Spring Gardens this Saturday, 24 February 2024.
The bands all feature young musicians aged between 10 to early 20s, who will be performing a mixture of covers and their own music. They’ll be taking to the stage from 2.30pm, at the bottom of the slopes. Each will play their own set, before coming together, for one night only, to form a new collaboration called The Echoes.
The young people involved have spent five months attending workshops on how to produce their own music. They’ve been working with High Peak Community Arts, and alongside professional musicians such as Ríoghnach Connolly, BBC Folk Singer of the Year, producer Gareth Carberry and singer-songwriter Rhiannon Stephenson from indie-pop band LONG ISLAND. The initiative has been led by the Buxton Our Street Youth Panel, a group of young people who meet regularly to discuss what opportunities they’d like to see in the town and then work to make them happen. It is funded by Historic England, with their partners the National Heritage Lottery Fund and Arts Council England and is supported by High Peak Borough Council as part of Buxton’s High Street Heritage Action Zone project.
The bands performing are: Isaac Neilson, followed by Hillside Playback, The Echoes, Tall Tales, The Developers and finishing with Cheap Shades at 5.40pm. Then at 6.30pm Illuminate Buxton kicks off at the other end of Spring Gardens.
Toby, a member of The Echoes says ‘everyone involved has created songs with all their own instruments, their own ideas and everyone has their own unique role in the project’. When asked what to expect, he explained ‘there’s some big band, blues, hip hop, R&B-ish music, a variety of different sounds and feelings. But the tracks all fit around a similar theme of overcoming obstacles and understanding yourself. Those were the kind of things we all had in common, and when we started writing about them, we felt they actually holds good life lessons for people of various ages.’ Another member, Hannah, who’s 14, explained why she got involved ‘I thought it sounded really interesting to work with people of a similar age to me to create music. It’s been really nice getting to know all these people that live around me.’ She says it’s been a positive experience ‘I’ve gained more confidence around people my age and I like creating music with other people because I know that they’ll support me and I can support them in that way.’ Toby agrees, saying ‘There’s a lot of creative freedom… because it’s just people around our age with similar interests and it’s really easy to just work with everyone and create something.’
Illuminate Buxton promises to be a night to remember, with original works made in Derbyshire – from the young bands who’ll be performing, to the stunning light show later in the evening. Toby urges everyone to get down to the town centre from 2.30pm, saying ‘it’s free live music, it’s original, and there’s various new young rising bands involved” and Hannah adds ‘it’s just an experience for local people to come together to see how much talent our town has, and the different ways people can get involved in things.’
Buxton Project eARTh enjoyed a short two week project with artists Mandy and Charlie Collins from Milestone Studios– printing in week one; and using the prints and other collage material in week two to create some zines – with wonderful results.
New Mills Project eARTh are busy alternating two projects at present to give variety! Participants have been busy making needle-felted creatures- with artist English Tilly (Carol Wilson) – mainly owls and badgers, with a penguin and chicken thrown in for good measure – as well as other workshops on creative writing for our 61 bus Route project, with writer Genevieve Carver. Photos below of needle-felting.
Buxton Project eARTh have been busy with creating their ‘Cranky’ with artist Lois Blackburn – two long scrolls of High Peak landscapes with hills, birds, bats, animals, buildings , paths, roads, rivers .. even the Pavilion Gardens Park Run feature in the artwork which will be on display at The Green Man Gallery in Buxton from the end of November – you ‘crank’ the handles to move the scroll across an open screen.
New Mills Project eARTh worked with artist Ian Pringle over 8 workshops, to create soundscapes of soothing sounds and poetry, designed to soothe your mind – available here to listen!
On 21st August 2024 we performed to two sell-out audiences and got some amazing feedback. We also raised over £800 on the Film Cuts Club crowdfunder!
A massive congratulations on a fantastic show to all the 33 young people and 5 young volunteers who performed or supported backstage in #HiddenDepths (and the 7 who were filmed or recorded in summer school, but on holiday for the performance day) – And to the lead artists and support team who made it all happen!
The pictures and video show what a great time was had by all – and we got some brilliant audience feedback for the Jellyfish Jiggles; the Groovy Crabs; the fight between good and evil and professional performances by our brilliant High Peak young people!
Here’s what it looked like:
Project eARTh’s silk painted flags were looking glorious at One World Festival New Mills!
And here are project eARTh’s silk painted banners in situ at Poole’s Cavern and Country Park. Time for a picnic? You could also see project eARTh’s wooden sculptures ‘Grinlow’s Legacy’ whilst there, made about 8 years ago!
