A music theatre partnership between composer Dr Deidre Gribbin, Venus Blazing Music Trust and Kings Place is giving young people with Down Syndrome and other cognitive challenges increased confidence in expressing their feelings through composing and performing.
Dr Gribbin has her own lived experience as a mother of a young person with Down Syndrome, which was the motivation for her creating the Venus Blazing Music Theatre Trust with theatre director Lou Stein. Dr Gribbin said 'A significant number of young people I encounter with Down Syndrome have low self-esteem and are perceptive and aware of the limitations associated with their disability. Often this is a psychological perception and not based on actuality. Traditional teaching and mainstream education settings are good at including individuals but people with Down Syndrome are often all too aware of the gap between themselves and their peers.'
The RCM recognises the importance of working with under-represented communities to use the positive effects of music in real-world situations. Music can be a particularly powerful bridge for people who find the use of language and its meaning difficult. Dr Gribbin said 'Our work recognises the young people’s ability to communicate with real empathy in a way that we can all benefit from. We can all become better communicators.'
RCM student volunteers have been assisting Dr Gribbin with monthly Venus Blazing creative music and theatre making sessions for young people with learning disabilities at The Park Theatre, Finsbury Park, London. In July 2024 three students were supported by the RCM’s Participatory Research Fund to volunteer for the Venus Blazing Summer School at Kings Place.
Deniz Dortok (MMus Composition) found the most rewarding experience ‘was working in smaller groups. In a short span of time, I saw remarkable growth in the students' confidence, including my own. I’m feel incredibly fortunate to have been part of this initiative.’
Donna Diaz (MEd) was ‘impressed by the power of the activities that the participants did and how they were able to develop themselves with a lot of freedom and without limits, it was something that I had not been able to see so closely before.’
Huixin Zhang (BMus Composition) ‘witnessed firsthand how participants flourished and showcased their remarkable musical talents over the course of just four days. The transformation facilitated by the Venus Blazing Music Trust is nothing short of extraordinary.’
Participants’ confidence has also grown through the creative music making process. One parent said their son ‘...has never been able to do an after-school club, play date or group work as he usually won't stay in the group, or we get asked to leave as he can’t or won't comply, it's just always been way too challenging. It has been a breath of fresh air to work with people that understand, don't judge and truly accept.’
The long-term aim of the programme is to build the participants’ skills at their own pace, which teaches a great sense of perseverance and of respecting people’s different learning styles, and to recruit more volunteers to support the participants.
