Songbirds
Led by Aoife McAtamney
Project Culminated at Fairview Park as part of Culture Night Dublin, 17 September, 2021.
I believe that everyone has a song to sing, a melody in their hearts, a rhythm to hold and know. If dancing is the sun, singing is the moon. How many times have we stood up to dance, after hearing a fun song or laughed at a songwriter’s humour? Then of course, the tears that come when a beloved song is sung and we are flung into a memory or moment. – Aoife
In SONGBIRDS we wanted to create original songs and weave them into an outdoor moving choreography. Songwriting often gives the author a place to say how they are feeling and share who they are with the world. This project culminated with a vibrant outdoor music and dance performance created by older people for a live audience. Led by Broadreach Guest Curator Aoife McAtamney, a picnic style sharing of original songs and choreography was inspired by the group’s natural surroundings and joy of dance. SONGBIRDS also included a special online exhibition for Culture Night – click below to view our Digital Tapestry…
Gallery
SONGBIRDS CREATIVE INTENSIVE – CREATE CHOREOGRAPHY, RECORD AN ORIGINAL SONG AND PERFORM AS PART OF CULTURE NIGHT ON 17TH OF SEPTEMBER 2021.
Following on from our creative workshop series, it was time to delve deeper into SONGBIRDS with a 3 week intensive led by Aoife, where in addition to creating choreography, participants came together online and in person to write, harmonise and record an original song and associated visuals – a digital tapestry crafted from the polaroid images taken throughout the series – all of which was released on YouTube during Culture Night!
STARTS TUESDAY 31 AUGUST 2021
ONLINE CREATIVE SESSIONS
DATES TUESDAYS 31 AUGUST & 7 SEPTEMBER
TIME 11.00am – 12.30pm
WHERE ZOOM
LIVE CHOREOGRAPHY SESSIONS
DATES 2, 9, 14 & 16 SEPTEMBER
TIME 11.00am – 12.30PM
WHERE Fairview Park
This project culminated with a performance on 17 SEPTEMBER as part of Culture Night Dublin 2021.
WORKSHOPS & COFFEE MORNINGS
The first part of SONGBIRDS was delivered both online and in a live setting. Throughout August, participants gathered online for creative sessions and then in person, outdoors, for movement workshops. Guest curator, Aoife, lead movement and vocal warmups and from there the group took part in creative tasks to create their original songs. The progress and the conversations that took place during SONGBIRDS were documented in polaroid images – traces of time spent together.
COFFEE MORNINGS & CREATIVE SESSIONS
DATES: TUESDAYS, 10 & 24 AUGUST
TIME: 11.00am – 12.30pm
WHERE: ONLINE (ZOOM)
MOVEMENT WORKSHOPS
DATES: WEDNESDAYS, 11, 18, 25 AUGUST & 1 SEPTEMBER
TIME: 2.00 – 3.30pm
WHERE: Fairview Park
Part of MOVEMENTLAND, a nine-month creative dance programme for older people curated by Aoife McAtamney – find out more here.
