Tag: LIPA

JIT for St Valentine’s Day: listen to the lovely Martin John Milner’s Never Too Late For Love!

“What can an artist musician do in the face of war? Ultimately there may come a time when the choice comes down to fight or flight. Until then, and as long as there is even the smallest hope that other activities will help to promote peaceful solutions, I think one has a responsibility to not look away but instead call for kindness and compassion in the face of violence and anger.

What can an artist musician do in the face of the seemingly relentless and apparently unthinking, uncaring ruination of the planetary ecosystems that support the web of life? While I still have life and the ability to love, I feel a responsibility to acknowledge the challenge and say: people, we are all in this together. My wellbeing depends on yours. Let’s work together for our collective survival. Let’s celebrate what we have in common much more than what we see differently. Let’s rise above the past and let every day be a new chance to love and be loved. And let’s do this at every level, from the ordinary everyday to the global emergency.

These are some words attempting to explain the origin of the song ‘Never Too Late For Love’ and the video created by Serg Collaiber. But of course a piece of art has a life of its own and belongs to everyone who experiences it. I hope the song-video will be an ambassador for kindness wherever it lands.” “

(Martin John Milner)

Martin is a musician, community musician, teacher, poet and facilitator. He grew up in the global North (Liverpool, England, and Nova Scotia, Canada), and since 2008 has lived in Potsdam, Germany.  He was deeply involved in Community Music in England 1998-2008. and was a Teaching Fellow on the B.A. Honours Community Arts degree and the Performing Arts For Disabled Artists courses at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (2002-04) . We met soon after when he became Musician in Residence for the Aspire Trust’s Deschooled? Re-engaged! project at Oldershaw School and Riverside Primary School.

We’ve kept in touch even since and contributed to his recent production, Never Too Late (for Love) which you can see here:

or hear, here:

The Deschooled Re-enagged Project became the subject for a chapter in the International Handbook of Creative Learning. You can download that here:

International Handbook of Creative Learning DEREDownload

Anyone up for a Harry Potter Community Drama workshop?

I like to imagine that much of Popular Culture was forged from Community Arts workshop practice.  After all, the international phenomenon that is Blood Brothers started life as a theatre in education piece touring primary schools; Squid Game is nothing more than a reworking of Grandma’s Footsteps (with Kalashnikovs) and the recent meeja mover and shaker – The Traitors – can trace its DNA back to the classic drama workshop warm up exercise, Wink Murder. There’s nothing it seems Community Arts practice can’t see itself in when it comes to understanding Popular Culture. Perhaps this is understandable, given that you might like to believe that ‘popular’ has something to do with the notion of the communities we live in.  As Co-pilot likes to point out:

“Defining the origins and influence of community arts practice can sometimes blur the lines between grassroots creativity and mainstream success. The intersection where local traditions meet widespread acclaim often creates a fertile ground for the birth of popular culture.”

‘Fair point, Co-Pilot,’ I think but ask in return, “but what about current Community Arts practice then?  How does that look different to what we used to recognise as Community Arts practice? After all,  it’s been about 20 years since I last set foot in a proper community arts workshop. 

I imagine that It’ll be like trying to ride a bike again after having been off the roads only to find that the pleasant country lanes you used to amble down have turned into dual carriageways and are infested by speed cameras. Remembering all the necessary moves, the highway code and how to navigate people through these processes has all coming flooding back in the strangest of moments. I’d forgotten the delights and possibilities of ‘Gnomes, Witches and Elves’ until writing this blog and straight away I’m wondering about the Popular Culture spin offs.  Perhaps Co-Pilot will know?

Of course, one of the first things you had to get to grips with early on was the dreaded name game; an attempt to elicit some information from your participants about who they are, where they’re from and what their favourite pot noodle is. This gets problematic when you forget the rules so that some poor unfortunate soul at the end of a circle of 42 people has to remember everyone else’s names, gestures and personal morning habits. It gets even more problematic if you’ve spent many of your last ten years in bars of various descriptions only to find yourself with your memory shot to pieces, and unable to remember the name of anyone who you last spoke to not just 5 seconds ago.

The advent of Facebook, Insta, Diddly-Squat.Com and all those other social meeja channels means that personal disclosure in this context is now a lot more problematic. There are now many distinct possibilities for you to get to know much more about your fellow participants and workshop leader than they may feel comfortable with disclosing during those early first session gambits. You can find out various intimate things about them, read opinions about them and formulate your own idea about who you’re working with to a much greater degree than you could in 2005. The naming of your fellow participants is not only the problematic naming ceremony in this neck of the cultural woods. The naming of the practice – “Community Arts” – still causes many people to come out in a kind of ideological rash.

“Community Arts – What’s That Then?” was a common gag at LIPA thirty years ago and it still leads to endless hours of description, analysis and definition amongst everyone who finds themselves embroiled in its reach.  Over the years it’s been recast as ‘participatory arts’; as ‘arts in a social context’; as ‘voluntary arts’ and all manner of other descriptions which desperately try to avoid the ‘c’ word. This is hardly surprising given how the ‘c’ word has been misappropriated by so many over so long; but nevertheless, the preponderance of alternatives never quite manages to kill the term, ‘Community Arts’, stone cold dead.

But in the time it’s taken to imagine the recombination and resurrection of Community Arts, Co-Pilot has managed to address these imaginations with it’s own speedy assessment of both ‘The Evolution of Community Arts Since 2005’ and  ‘The impact of ‘Gnomes, Witches and Elves’ on Popular Culture’ which you can read below, if you’re so inclined.

Anyone up for a Harry Potter workshop at this year’s reunion?

1. The Evolution of Community Arts Practice Since 2005 (as described by Co-Pilot)

Introduction

Community arts practice has undergone significant transformations since 2005. The changes in this field reflect broader societal shifts, technological advancements, and evolving cultural policies. This document explores these developments and their implications for community artists and the communities they serve.

Increased Technological Integration

One of the most notable changes in community arts practice since 2005 is the increased integration of technology. The advent of social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter has revolutionized how artists and communities interact. These platforms allow for greater visibility, networking, and collaboration, breaking down geographical barriers and enabling global community engagement. Digital tools and software have also enhanced the creative process, allowing for more sophisticated and accessible production of art forms. Online workshops, virtual exhibitions, and digital storytelling have become commonplace, expanding the reach and impact of community arts projects.

Shift in Terminology and Perception

The term “community arts” has evolved, with various alternative labels such as “participatory arts,” “arts in social contexts,” and “voluntary arts” emerging. This shift reflects an ongoing effort to redefine and broaden the scope of the practice, distancing it from preconceived notions and making it more inclusive. Despite these changes in terminology, the core principles of community arts—collaboration, inclusivity, and social impact—remain central. The new labels aim to encapsulate the diverse forms and approaches within the practice, acknowledging its dynamic and multifaceted nature.

Focus on Social Justice and Inclusion

Since 2005, there has been a heightened focus on social justice and inclusion within community arts practice. Projects increasingly address pressing social issues such as inequality, racism, and environmental sustainability. Artists work alongside marginalized communities to amplify their voices and foster social change. This shift towards activism and advocacy is reflected in the themes and methodologies of community arts projects. Participatory approaches that prioritize the experiences and perspectives of community members have become more prevalent, ensuring that the art produced is relevant and meaningful.

Professionalisation and Training

The professionalization of community arts practice has also accelerated since 2005. There is now greater recognition of the skills and expertise required to facilitate impactful community arts projects. This has led to the development of specialized training programs, certifications, and higher education courses dedicated to community arts. These initiatives aim to equip artists with the necessary tools and knowledge to navigate the complexities of working in diverse community settings. They also emphasize ethical considerations, ensuring that community arts practitioners are mindful of the power dynamics and responsibilities inherent in their work.

Challenges and Opportunities

While community arts practice has evolved positively in many respects, it also faces ongoing challenges. Funding remains a significant concern, with many projects reliant on short-term grants and precarious financial support. This unpredictability can hinder the sustainability and long-term impact of community arts initiatives. However, the evolving landscape also presents new opportunities. The increased visibility and legitimacy of community arts practice have opened doors to broader collaborations with institutions, organizations, and policymakers. These partnerships can provide more stable funding and greater resources, enhancing the potential for lasting social impact.

Case Study: Creative Partnerships

A pivotal moment in the evolution of community arts practice was the introduction of Creative Partnerships (CP) in 2002. This initiative aimed to integrate creative practitioners into schools, fostering a culture of creativity and innovation in education. Although CP officially ended in 2011, its influence persists. CP’s ethos was rooted in the principles of community arts, emphasizing collaboration, creativity, and inclusion. However, CP’s reluctance to explicitly align itself with community arts terminology highlighted ongoing tensions within the field regarding identity and recognition.   

(Author’s note:  thank you Co-Pilot.  My feelings entirely.  Community Arts seemed to have been completely written off the contemporary cultural education map in 2002 with the advent of Creative Partnerships and all its offspring and mutant cousins. One argument went that the basis of CP practice was based almost entirely on an ethos that is found in the roots, practice and theory of community arts: but given CP’s unending anxiety about claiming that it was never just an arts education programme, it was never then going to admit openly that the arts practice it was predicated upon was that of the ‘c’ word. That would have been a naming gambit one step too far.

Conclusion

The evolution of community arts practice since 2005 reflects broader cultural, technological, and social shifts. While the field has faced challenges, it has also seized opportunities to expand its reach, impact, and legitimacy. As community arts practitioners continue to navigate this dynamic landscape, their work remains crucial in fostering creativity, inclusion, and social change within communities.

2. The impact of ‘Gnomes, Witches, and Elves’ on Popular Culture (as described by Co-Pilot)

The children’s game ‘gnomes, witches, and elves’ has surprisingly left an indelible mark on popular culture. This simple, imaginative game has inspired numerous books, movies, and TV series that explore fantastical worlds filled with magic and mythical creatures. Its influence can be seen in globally beloved franchises such as “Harry Potter,” where the concepts of wizards and witches have been expanded into a rich, detailed universe, captivating audiences of all ages.

Beyond literature and film, the game has also found its way into various aspects of media and entertainment. Fantasy role-playing games like “Dungeons & Dragons” draw heavily on the archetypes of wizards, witches, and elves, allowing players to immerse themselves in epic adventures and magical quests. Even in fashion and art, the aesthetic of these mythical figures continues to inspire and shape trends, proving that a simple childhood game can have a profound and lasting impact on the broader tapestry of popular culture.

(Author’s Note: By the way, which one of you’s Harry?)

Surely not another re-union? Why re-gathering is good for the soul.

We’ve probably had the dubious pleasures of being invited to or attending a school reunion in the time since we left those august institutions at least once in our adult lives.  Whilst they promise so much (reviving old friendships, rekindling old memories and fondly reimagining what we actually did at school) thinking about taking the necessary steps towards those acts of remembrance and re-unification with our past to look into the faces of our peers,  can sober us up quite quickly.

Much like ‘Facebook Friends’ who aren’t actual friends at all but just people you share a bit of cyberspace with for a fraction of the time you spend on the internet,  we might quickly remember that those old school friendships fell by the wayside for a very good reason: those ‘friends’ weren’t friends at all but just acquaintances you had to share your physical day with by virtue of the fact that you were born in the same academic year and happened to live in roughly the same geographic region for no more reason than that’s where your parents decided to pitch up in the long cold winter of 1963.

The promise of unearthing memories from our minds and muscles can be both potentially intriguing and alarming.  Just when we thought we had all our memories safely packed away in a box labelled ‘Treasures’, the reunion risks that box relabelling itself ‘Pandora’s’. This might be a cause for both more pleasure or even more pain: but if we have even half a gambling streak woven into our DNA, then the promise hinted at by the reunion in opening that memory box is one that’s difficult to resist.  Given about 70% of the UK play the national lottery on a regular basis, it’s a fair bet to assume that our gambling instincts are never far away when it comes to justifying our attendance at the forthcoming school reunion.

The cliché of school ‘being the best days of your life’ is never far away when it comes to musing about school reunions and our tendency to completely whitewash the bullying, the frustration and the sheer fear of navigating the hostile terrain that was the school playground frequently gets transmuted into the golden days of jumpers for goal posts, love letters scratched onto the bike sheds and the first illicit ciggie at the bus stop.  We conveniently forget the cuts, the scrapes, the bruises, the rejections and the first cough in our desire to reconstruct  how the experience really wasn’t. The promise of the school reunion is a great catalyst for that act of shaping the base metal of our lived experiences into the gold of the reimagined school life.

So, the false friendships, the alarming memories and the potential failure of transmutation are all good reasons not to attend any school reunion ever.  We can, after all, meet who we like any time we choose on line these days through the plethora of social media channels which have sprung up in the last 30 years.  We can drink ourselves into a stupor with strangers any weekend anywhere we choose and nothing is stopping us from taking a bus, train or plane to spend time back at that little piece of the world which was so formative for us all those years ago: nothing that is, apart from the school security system, surveillance cameras and the suspicion from the gangs who now run the school that you’re somehow up to no good in your desire to visit your old biology lab and check out whether your name is still engraved on those bike shed walls.

With all the unpromising baggage gathering in our homes as we toy with the idea of a LIPA reunion, we might answer the question of why here, why now by accepting that the imminent Community Arts LIPA reunion in August 2025  isn’t just a matter of meeting old friends for a few drinks and swopping a few beaten up old memory cards late into the night which we might leave behind in the hotel on the way back home afterwards.  The Not-the-30th Reunion-Reunion  gives all of us who were involved in that educational ambition the opportunity to reassess together what that work meant to us back then and perhaps more importantly regroup what it might mean for us and our wider society and its futures.

A Community Arts infused reunion can be more than just about sharing food and gossip and participating in the occasional brawl over the weekend; it can be about making new friends from the company of strangers; it can be about seeing people in the flesh for the very first time in many years rather than through the shiny electronic veneer the social media platforms dress us up in.  It can even be about re-minding and re-membering how arts and culture need to continue to play a role in improving all our lives, all the time, everywhere.  Whitewashed memories are one thing: helping construct whole new futures for those who follow in our footsteps is quite another and something worth regathering for.

Meet Gary Carpenter, composer of Tabloid!!!

Gary Carpenter and Nick Owen met at LIPA in the very early days when we were sat at the back of a very cold classroom in a portacabin, charged with the task of writing their courses with the maximum of efficiency and the minimum of distraction. This soon became impossible and they were soon fondly referred to the ‘Beavis and Butthead’ of LIPA by the Head of Performance Design at the time, Colin Fallowes.

They took his acclaim as an honour and agreed to collaborate at the earliest possible opportunity. This manifested in the production ‘Tabloid!!! which was produced at the Unity Theatre in Liverpool in October 1995. Whilst the production was based in 1986, Gary points out that the themes are as relevant today as they were then:

The character of Bellamy is more relevant now than ever: a charming but ambitious geezer using sex to achieve ever more elevation in the newspaper world despite being hopelessly incompetent and virtually illiterate. He could even have ended up as Prime Minister had we set it later than the 1980s. He would certainly might have written for The Spectator…

In the immediate future, Gary has his Piano Trio performed at Wigmore Hall on Saturday 30 November 2024 (incredibly also Nick Owen’s birthday): you can read more about this here.

Gary studied composition at the Royal College of Music, London with Humphrey Searle, Thea Musgrave and John Lambert, and participated in master classes with Nadia Boulanger. He has lived in Holland and Germany and has written operas, musicals (including The Streets of London [Her Majesty’s Theatre, 1981], Goodnight Mister Tom – The Musical) a and China Song (Vivian Ellis Prize 1999 and tour), ballets (mainly for Nederlands Dans Theater), a radio music-drama (The One Alone with Iris Murdoch) and much concert music. Musical director and/or arranger-orchestrator on many stage shows and films (including The Wicker Man [1972]), his Azaleas for harp trio received a 2006 British Composer Award in the chamber category. CDs include SET (orchestral works) and Die Flimmerkiste (chamber works).

Orchestral works include Fred and Ginger, SET (tenor sax concerto), Dadaville, Willie Stock and Ghost Songs (with junior choir). Mahan Esfahani and Ensemble 10/10 premiered Mondrian (concerto for harpsichord and ensemble) in Liverpool (March 2019) and subsequently in Cologne (May 2023) and Hamburg (November 2023). His work has been played by the London Symphony, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, BBC Symphony, BBC Philharmonic, BBC Concert, Hallé, City of Birmingham Symphony, Royal Scottish National, Aalborg Symphony, Basque National, Frankfurt Radio Symphony, Dutch Radio Philharmonic orchestras. Conductors include Daniel Harding, Vasily Petrenko, Sakari Oramo, Duncan Ward, Oliver Knussen, Andrew Manze, Harry Christophers, Clark Rundell, Giancarlo Guerrero, Roberto Forés, Thomas Søndergård, Edward Gardner, Michael Seal and HK Gruber amongst others. A dark folk album co-written with Matthew Deighton for the band Magnet will be released in 2025.

Gary holds a professorship at the Royal Northern College of Music and lectures at the Royal Academy of Music. 

Tabloid!!!

Tabloid!!!

The script of the musical theatre production, Tabloid!!! written by Nick Owen and Gary Carpenter.  Illustrations by Paul Warren.

60 pages in colour, produced in a rehearsal friendly format.

£19.99
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Available this week: Tabloid!!! a new(ish) musical by Gary Carpenter and Nick Owen

It was after the 1979 election that Margaret Thatcher was said to have mis-spoke the immortal lines of Francis of Assisi…

“Where there is peace, let there be strife,

Where there is love, let there be hate,

Where there is hunger, let there be greed,

Where there is knowledge, let there be ignorance,

Where there is life, let there be death”

… and whilst it would be naive to suggest that the state of Britain’s politics and civic life ever since has been entirely down to her, she certainly left her mark over the following decades.

Fast forward to 1995, and Liverpool was about to witness the birth of a significant new cultural educational presence: the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts (LIPA). Paul McCartney’s fame school (as it rapidly was referred to) launched in a media storm at the time with international students arriving in the city and mixing it with local students and the city’s cultural moguls in sometimes easy, sometimes awkward alignments. But mix it they well and truly did, despite the building not being ready on time. Whilst this was especially awkward for those students who had flown across the planet to be there, many opportunities opened up for them and the resident staff of LIPA which allowed for some inspiring cultural experiences: with the additional benefit of not needing to be assessed by LIPA’s assessment protocols. Perhaps for the first and only time in LIPA’s history, we were able to produce art without having to measure the state of students’ learning outcomes.

One of these was a new musical written and produced by Gary Carpenter and Nick Owen: Tabloid!!! Gary and Nick had been Heads of Music and Community Arts at LIPA at the time and used the hiatus between students arriving and classes starting by producing the musical at Liverpool’s Unity Theatre. Its first performance was Friday 13 October 1995 so we think it’s fitting to celebrate the 29th birthday of the production by publishing the full script this week.

Tabloid!!! is based on the Guy De Maupassant novel, Bel Ami, which is set in Paris in the late 1880s. We transposed the story to the London of the late 1980s and found an easy equivalence between the challenges that the French ‘Bel Ami’ found on his return from the war in Algeria and our hero, Roy Bellamy and his return from the Falklands. We were, after all, dealing with a period when corruption in the press, in politics, in the economy was rife. We were in the dog days of ‘Greed is Good’ and ‘loadsamoney‘ attitudes and so the story lent itself to a timely interpretation and production.

Fast forward to 2024, and despite the hope of the new Labour administration following their election in July, an uneasy stench of corruption and sleaze is beginning to drift up out of the gutters again: the ‘effluence of affluence‘ (as Gary wrote in the opening number to the show) is making its mark again.

Tabloid!!! will be available through Nick Owen Publishing from 8pm, 13 October 2024. If you’d like a copy, just leave your details here:

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