Speaking Hands- Taking the plunge to manage and curate own project.

Through the high volume of freelance work I have carried out over the years, I have been fortunate and lucky to have met and built so many connections with wonderful and inspiring individuals. As someone who is pretty restless (a typical Aries trait!), I now want the challenge of starting my own project from scratch. Building up the confidence to do this has not been easy. Through the support and blessings of special individuals and beating my own self limiting beliefs, I have managed to get there!  Looking back is not an option anymore.

I had a lightening moment last year in November which led me to take inspired action. I sent a group e-mail to some dear musician friends of mine and sounded out the idea of us working together and creating our own music. I have had the great pleasure of working with them individually and know they have a lot of talent so it felt right to now pool it together. Fortunately, they agreed and we met up and just played. I was clear with them that this project must have a goal; otherwise we will be doing a disservice to potential audiences who may like our music. As we had a clear focus on sharing and performing, our creativity held no boundaries. The name ‘Speaking Hands’ popped into my mind because all of us play instruments with our hands, but the music that comes out of them is full of energy and emotion. I also wanted a dance element because there are certain traits in our pieces that can be beautifully expressed through the gestures and provocative movements of dance. 

 

What am I learning in the process?

I take full responsibility for this project because I owe it to the musicians and dancers who believe in this. We have spent time rehearsing and the musicians have travelled to be a part of it. I have spent more time co-ordinating, talking to organisers/venues than playing! This leadership role has come to me naturally and I enjoy the challenges of it as I know there will be a lot more to come!

 

Making it Happen

Utilising the connections I have made within the sector, I approached artistic directors to support our project. We are now in the process of producing and we will hopefully be showcasing ‘Speaking Hands’ towards the end of the year. I will definitely keep you updated on the developments, because this is only the beginning.