Forest Arts Music Hub

Following the great success of last year’s inaugural SummerFest ‘21 we are going to run this event again as part of our Summer Singing Festivals programme for 2022

For those not involved last year, SummerFest is a dedicated SEND performance event which has come about from discussions started in the Mini MusE network last year.

SummerFest will be an online musical celebratory event streaming live at 7pm on July 14th 2022 on the Walsall Music Hub YouTube channel.

All SEND schools in Walsall are invited to take part and the concept is outlined below:

Any number of children can take part (a group, a class, a year group, or more) and the event is completely free to join.

Massed Performance Songs

· I’m Still Standing – Elton John
· Can’t Stop the Feeling – Justin Timberlake
· Wake Me Up - Avici

Backing tracks and makaton signing sheets will be available from Monday 4th April.

Children can sing, sign or play, whatever works for you in your setting and the Hub will compile a massed performance version for all schools who take part.

Schools Own Submission

Schools can also record their own song or instrumental choice to be performed by their own children. This can be presented however you wish. For example, a group recording or independently recorded individual videos collated using editing software, or a combination of the two. Videos will need to be fully edited by the school pre submission to Nick Dewhurst at the Hub.

If you need help in editing or working this process at all please contact Steph who can connect you with someone on the SummerFest event team to help you.

The song title must be confirmed ASAP so no two schools are doing the same.

In addition, schools are encouraged to submit artwork from the pupils for compilation in to the SummerFest Art Gallery which was a welcomed feature last year. This is especially useful for children who want to take part but not have video permission.

Please remember and consider that if children are not permitted to be videoed they can still be part of the audio track and recognised in a different way – be as creative as you want with your video submission.

Take a look at last year’s festival on our Youtube Channel by clicking here.

Timeline

25th March Deadline for booking onto the event using the online booking form

4th April Massed performance numbers will be on the Hub’s YouTube channel and Makaton sheets distributed to participating schools

24th May Ensure you have the relevant permissions for filming pupils and have sent your school permission form to Steph Dufty (sdufty@walmused.org.uk)

17th June Or earlier! All video submissions to be sent to Nick Dewhurst.

1st July Statistics forms to be completed for Steph and returned to sdufty@walmused.org.uk

14th July Live Stream on Walsall Music Hub YouTube Channel at 7pm

There will be a social media campaign prior to the event that you can share/retweet with your schools to help build an audience. We will ask for pupil posters or similar nearer the time to help promote this.

Other information

· All pupils will need sign-off that they can be involved in video recordings to be shown on YouTube. Steph will produce a sign off form for each school to do this and email this separately to the schools who want to take part.

· If pupils cannot be videoed they can still be involved with audio recordings and/or artwork.

· Pupil numbers and other aggregated data (such as PP – no pupil names) will be needed in order to satisfy funding requirements for the Hub to support this event. Again Steph will send you a proforma nearer the time.