VIBE/SWCT PROJECT IMPACT REPORT 2015-2024
ACCOMPANYING SHORT FILM CAN BE SEEN @https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpVqWEimHpM
1. BRIEF SUMMARY
After 11 years working with more than 150 neurodivergent children and young people the time came to wind down the project. A project that has had a huge impact on the lives of many young people and the team who have worked with them.
The Vibe model is very different to many interventions and courses available to young people facing mantal health challenges with no time limits: some young people were with the project for 8 years.
This gave them the security of belonging, the time and space to develop friendships, grow feelings of self-worth, find and express their voice, develop skills and the confidence to communicate their story through the creative arts.
An environment in which they could start to believe that they had something to offer to themselves and others, becoming valuable contributors to their communities ready to successfully engage with training, employment and volunteering.
The hands-on leadership model was to be respectful, to listen and to be empathetic in all interactions with each other and all our children and young people. The expectation was that being enveloped by that environment young people would themselves develop the same social skills.
2. THE LEGACY
The most important legacy of our project is manifested in the lives of the children and young people we have been privileged to be a part of. The young people who have developed the confidence, self-belief, communication and social skills to go on to achieve such as first class honours degrees, become loving, caring parents and successfully follow careers in health, social care and the creative arts industry. Children and young people who have moved away from self-harm and self-medication, who have developed long lasting friendships, who have become supportive and caring of others in their communities as active volunteers. Young people who continue to develop, express and share their creativity, for their own pleasure and that of others.
The wish is that the VIBE/SWCT model is made available to as many children and young people as possible and that many more creative artists are given the opportunity to work alongside young people to enable them to realise their creativity in a supportive and safe environment.
During the last few days of the project, we received this ‘I have been given your contact details by Rebecca from SEND Advice Line - she highly recommended VIBE to me. I am a mother of 11 yrs old boy Szymon who has autism diagnosis. He is a very creative boy - loves music (he plays bass guitar in Rochdale Music Centre), he enjoys doing animations on his tablet, he is into art. Could you let me know how he could join your group please?
On replying that unfortunately the project was closing, ‘Thank you for your prompt response. What a shame he is not able to join the Vibe now... I was (and he was) really looking forward to it. Please let me know if any other opportunity comes across. I would really appreciate it.’
3. THANKS TO
· All the young people who have allowed us to be part of their journey.
· The organisations who have worked alongside us including MIND, CAMHS, Early Break and Thrive.
· Rachel McDonald, Transformation and Delivery Manager – Children and Maternity (Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale)NHS Greater Manchester who believed in us and fought for us from day one.
4. THE BIRTH OF A PROJECT
Following extensive work with young people as part of the Truce element of the 2012 Olympic Games an idea began to grow that young people had stories to tell. Stories that empowered them and gave them a sense of ownership. What they needed was the means to tell them in their own voice through the medium that worked best for them. What they didn’t have was the support to find and develop that medium whether it be music, visual art, drama, written word, film, animation or a combination thereof.
So was born the project known as Stories We Could Tell [SWCT]. A successful bid for project funding from Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale NHS CCG enabled premises to be leased, artists from the whole spectrum of the creative arts engaged and young people invited to come along to find their voice, to tell their story in the way that suited them best.
Young people on the Aspergers Spectrum, Refugees and Asylum Seekers, young people with Learning Difficulties, Gender Issues, Anxiety and Depression, In Care and Carers came together to work alongside professional artists including an actor, a singer/songwriter, a poet, a painter, a filmmaker, a DJ, a photographer, and a digital artist.
The young people were an enthusiastic bunch who expressed a collective desire to share their stories in performance with an audience. The Middleton Arena was hired, and a show put together. Two hundred invited guests were blown away by a two hour show that took them on a journey across the whole emotional spectrum. They laughed and they cried. Eight years later those in attendance still talk about it.
In the audience were a number of mental health professionals and the project, known as SWCT, was awarded a contract with the local NHS CCG to work with young people referred by such as CAMHS, MIND, THRIVE, EARLY BREAK and local schools and colleges.
What had become blindingly obvious was that Creativity was a powerful change-maker in the lives of young people facing challenges to their mental health. That the creative arts were a driver of building resilience and a catalyst for developing positive feelings of self-worth.
The name of the project SWCT morphed into the much punchier VIBE, a three year contract with the newly formed GM NHS was secured and the group registered as a Charity.
Over a hundred and fifty neurodivergent young people had their lives transformed and their future opportunities enhanced.
Also, a significant number of creatives across the spectrum of the creative arts developed skills in supporting young people to find, develop, express and share their creativity.
5. THE IMPACT ON YOUNG PEOPLE – some uplifting case studies
A young man who is from an asylum seeking referred to us by #ThriveAsylum seeker family.
He is 14 and has a love of music [especially bass guitar] and music technology.
He is enthusiastically receiving one to one and bass guitar lessons and enjoys jamming with other members.
He is well underway with constructing his own bass guitar in our guitar workshop and has started developing his knowledge and skills in studio and computer technology in our recording studio.
He was initially socially awkward and reticent but is now full of enthusiasm and socially engaged.
A young man on the autistic spectrum referred to us by Early Break. He is 15 years of age and is currently in care.
He initially came to us with his foster mum and Early Break support person. He quickly settled in and was able to take part in activities without external support. His foster mum reported to us that she was delighted as this was the first time that he had shown enthusiasm for and looked forward to anything. He has bonded with an existing member [also with autism] sharing their mutual interests.
Together they have been involved in designing and building a light box to enhance their photography.
He has also started guitar lessons and is going to construct his own electric guitar.
A young man aged 13 from a very dis-functional family background who was having behavioural issues at school that led to internal and external exclusions. He has engaged with his creativity to help build his resilience through such as building and learning to play a guitar and developing a stand-up routine. His behaviour at school has improved and he has developed a much more mature attitude to his relationships with other members. His mother liaises with SWCT using his attendance on the project as a ‘carrot’ in modifying his behaviour.
A young man aged 19 originally from Brazil who was referred to us by MIND. He harbours suicidal thoughts and experiences situations of conflict between family members. He is a first-year student at Bolton University. He has embarked on strengthening his resilience to the challenges he faces through developing his creativity in area such as building as guitar and learning to play acoustic guitar. He is engaging with other members to help him overcome social isolation through building relationships. He has introduced other young people to our project through his mentoring at MIND and has started volunteering at the Heart Foundation which has enabled him to source music-related books for SWCT.
A young woman in her early 20’s with complex mental and physical issues has continued through creativity to build her resistance to the challenges she faces. During the Covid-19 lockdown she received regular, ongoing online support from SWCT’s creative writer to work on her creative writing. She reports that this has helped her to keep motivated during a very difficult time. She also has agreed to become a SWCT Volunteer in addition to continuing to develop her creativity. She will receive volunteer training when we are to reopen 36/36a Drake Street. When she is ready, she will embark on her new role with support from SWCT Core Team. Her involvement in volunteering will be designed to further develop her resilience and increase her employability.
A young woman in her early 20’s with mental health issues that affect her social skills, and confidence has continued through creativity to develop her resistance to these challenges. During the Covid-19 lockdown she received regular, ongoing online support from SWCT’s visual artist/musician to commence on the development of creating an animation with musical soundtrack based on the characters she has created and drawn. She reports that this has both kept her going and made her excited to return to 36/36a Drake Street as soon as possible to ‘get on with it’. On her return we shall be offering her the opportunity to undertake training to become a SWCT Volunteer. This will be planned to provide opportunities to further build her resistance with a focus on personal interaction.
A young person who became a member when in Y6 at Primary School and is now in Y7 at High School. She was very withdrawn and lacking in confidence. We discovered that she had an interest in animation so introduced her to our Member/Volunteer digital artist and our Filmmaker. She quickly grew in confidence and became thoroughly engaged in the Vibecast project and in interaction with members and staff. She is now proactive and a leader in all our animation activities having produced several short animations and being involved in a commission from Rochdale Healthwatch.
Two young women of African extraction who are sisters and here as asylum seekers. They were desperate to find an outlet for their abundant creative energy. We set up the opportunity to write their own rap, produce the beats, learn to sing and produce their first recording supported by our DJ, Musician and Poet. They are now engaging in other creative activities such as visual arts and have brought along with them other young people from their community who are also engaging enthusiastically with their creativity.
A young man aged 17 came back to VIBE after a time away concentrating on his GCSEs. He initially became a member after having been referred to us by his brother. Both brothers are Autistic, and the elder one is now in full-time employment coming to VIBE when he can. This returnee is enthusiastically working with our musician learning to play along to his favourite songs on guitar, bass guitar and drums. He says that has not settled well at college and coming to VIBE is helping him to feel more positive and have something to both enjoy and look forward to.
A young man aged 11 who initially became a member when in year 6. We hadn’t seen him for some time when his mother contacted us to ask if he could come back as VIBE was the only thing he would come out of his bedroom for. We welcomed him with open arms, and he is now regularly attending to work with our filmmaker on producing animations as well as learning how to edit in support of another member.
An eleven-year-old male who joined us during Q1 2022, Attending Brownhill with issues around ADHD and anger management. Accompanied by his mother he at first was reticent to engage. He has an interest in DJing, so we engaged a DJ/Producer to support him. He grew in confidence and enthusiasm leading to him engaging, independently from his mother, with drumming and has started to make a box out of wood, whilst continuing to develop his mixing skills. He has integrated well with other members and engages confidently with staff.
A young man aged 21 with issues emanating from his Autism. He first came to Vibe as a friend of one of our long-term members. For some time, he was content just to be with us without engaging in any aspect of creativity. We discovered that he was a gamer, especially Warhammer. We developed a relationship with a local business who repair laptops etc and sell Warhammer. We arranged for him and his friend to go for sessions with the owner on Warhammer. This led to us buying a set of figures and paints for him to work on in Vibe. This was the catalyst he needed and has led him to joining the build a guitar project. He is currently preparing the body of his guitar for painting. He now attends regularly even when his friend is not with him.
A young man aged 21 who has been a Vibe Member for six years. Initially he had a very low self-image and problems with speech and physical co-ordination. He tried to develop his creativity in many areas including Stand Up, Acting and developing a Comedy Character. None of these were as successful as he had hoped. The team continued to work on his self-belief and involved him in working supporting younger Vibe Members. As he got older, he became a Vibe Member/Volunteer and has taken on responsibility for refreshments and building maintenance. The confidence this has given him has led to him becoming much more confident and developing his creativity through a design and make project, building and learning to play his own guitar and as a member of the Vibecast production team learning about filming and editing. This has led him to working on making two short films including one about his design and make project. He has recently secured his first part-time job.
Our youngest ever member – a girl aged 10 referred to us by her mother as she was struggling with the tensions created by her mother and father spitting up and her mother introducing a new male into the family home. She was initially very quiet and stuck to whichever parent brought her down. The team and members gently encouraged her to tell us what she liked doing and involved her in suitable activities. She soon became involved in our art project to decorate the internal walls of our building with murals, working in a group including our Vibe Visual Artist, member/volunteer/artist and a young man who is developing his own visual art creativity. She has also started to spend all her time away from her supporting parent including joining the guitar project and having one-to-one sessions with our Vibe Musician.
A young person aged 15 referred to us by healthy young minds. A young person with anger management issues and gender identity issues. They have settled in very well and been very open in explaining and discussing their issues with staff and other young people. Has written some lyrics to a song that expresses feelings around depression and anxiety, with support from our musician has recorded the chorus and is working on a melody. Has also produced some digital art with the support of our member/volunteer creative artist and has borrowed a camera to take images with the support of our photographer/digital artist.
Three of our young people became VIBE ROCHDALE Trustees and had their first meeting. They are now undertaking training in the role of trusteeship and reviewing all our policies. They have invited a local artist/facilitator to join them on the Board.
A young man with autism has made great strides in both his guitar playing and guitar building. The confidence this has given him has enabled him to support other young people and also become an in-house guitar technician. His social skills have improved dramatically, and he is now much more confident in verbal communication.
A young man aged 21 with autism who identifies as gay. At first, he was happy to just be with us, getting used to VIBE, its members and staff. Inspired by one of our member/volunteers he declared himself interested in gaming, so we introduced him to a local link with a computer repair shop who run workshops for Warhammer. He bonded with another male member who has been with us for six years. We bought some gaming figures and paints, and they embarked on a combined project. This led him to becoming involved in our guitar building project. He now attends nearly every session and is much more confident and engaged.
Another young man with autism, aged 22, who has been a member for six years, returned to us after a short break as he started his first full-time job. He soon picked up his enthusiasm for photography, especially the technical side. He also has a deep-rooted interest in trains and buses – the main focus for his photography. Encouraged by Vibe’s photographers he was successfully stimulated to develop his skills in composition, framing and widening his portfolio to include landscape and nature. He has produced some stunning images, especially of sunsets. He has also worked alongside our musician to develop his piano playing and our DJ/Producer to mix some tracks.
A young man with a physically debilitating condition and learning difficulties found lockdown very difficult. Zooming was of limited value to him although he very much enjoyed the session when Sue Devaney joined us [he is a Corrie fan]. We posted an art pack to his home, and he attended some art break-out Zoom sessions.
Through contact with his family, we discovered that he had stopped engaging with his physiotherapy and was unable to walk well enough to be able to attend VIBE. His desire to be back in attendance proved to be the motivator for him to re-engage with his physiotherapy and he is now back with us with a smile on his face and has chosen to become a member/volunteer and attend our Thursday sessions.
A young man with issues related to depression and social isolation attended Zoom sessions but didn’t feel able to be on video and only unmuted when directly spoken to. However, he watched and listened every session. We were able to find out that he spent a lot of time watching a specific genre of films. This led to him working online with our writers to write reviews of some of these films. We provided stills for him to use in illustration and he is now planning to make his reviews into Vibecast.
Two of our members with autism aged 17 and 24 formed a band with two members who have refugee status both aged 16.
We have set up a new recording studio at 14 Drake Street where under the guidance of our music man these members are collaborating on a new recording.
This is huge step forward not only musically for the members involved but especially in social development and communication – two Spanish speakers working co-operatively with two members who have issues with social contact and communication.
A long-term female member now aged 25 has completed her commission to make a short film providing information about accessing health care for refugees and asylum seekers. This is part of a development package we have designed to help her to gain the confidence and skills to deliver a commission. Working alongside our film man she has become much more confident in her own abilities. She suffers from depression and anxiety and when she first became a member spent most of her time at VIBE hiding in the toilet. She is now able to support younger members to develop their confidence and gain skills in graphic art, animation and film making.
VIBE Testimonial: Adam
VIBE Testimonial: Jonas
VIBE Testimonial: Freya
VIBE Testimonial: Mateusz
VIBE Testimonial: Jenny
7. THE IMPACT ON CREATIVE ARTISTS
Seamus Kelly poet, photographer and visual artist
When I started working with Vibe I was also working as a teacher in a SEND school working with young people with very severe behavioural and social issues. The young people led approach at Vibe, whereby young people were enabled to undertake activities that they chose to do, rather than being pressured into them, fits well with my own ways of working and has been beneficial to Vibe and my other teaching and mentoring work.
Young people generally respond well to a supportive and encouraging atmosphere where they can be themselves and to see young people at Vibe make progress in terms of confidence, social skills, practical and creative skills has been very satisfying. Being able to help young people with ideas, writing, drawing, and making art have all been rewarding. In fact, the best part of this project has been seeing the positive changes we’ve been able to support in so many young people.
I was particularly pleased to be able to help a young man learn some basic woodworking skills and how to use hand tools safely. Seeing his growth in independence, confidence to discuss his ideas and learning the skills to develop them has been a privilege.
Vibe has given me the opportunity to work alongside creative practitioners from other fields (e.g. music and filmmaking) and share ideas and skills. Those contacts will continue to valuable in the future.
Calm, patience, creativity and flexibility are valuable assets for this work, where it is impossible to predict who you will be working with and what kind of creative activity you will be involved in. Working alongside the other creatives at Vibe has helped me to recognise and develop those skills in my other work.
Dan Bridgewood-Hall musician, recording and performing artist.
Working at Vibe has been a great experience for me. It is so rewarding to see the lightbulb go on in a young person's head when you explain something to them in a way they understand. And it feels like such important work to help them grow and change their lives for the better in meaningful ways as art skills will be useful for the rest of their lives. It also feels good to me as it makes me realise how much information I know and gives me the confidence to say that I'm an expert.
One memorable experience was working with Victor. I was teaching him piano, and he challenged me to teach him something really difficult. This isn't the normal way you would teach piano, but he was eager and insistent. By coincidence I had just been learning a particularly difficult bit of Rachmaninov, so I skipped to the hardest section and said, "what about this?". I had been hoping to put him off so we could return to the basics, but it had the opposite effect, and he made me teach it to him. Each session for the next few weeks we added 5 notes to the pattern. His determination was astounding and after a couple of months, much to my amazement, he could play it!
Another impactful example was working with Drew. She seemed very shy when she was with the group, so we went to a quiet area for ukelele lessons. It wasn't long before I got her talking and she really brightened up. In the end we spent as much time talking about Kermit the frog as we did learning ukelele, but it felt like important work.
Another case was working with Astro/Maxx, a very creative young person who seemed to think no one cared about her. She wrote lyrics and songs and when we discovered a mutual love of Nirvana, she allowed me to add some guitar to her music. The results were great, and she seemed so happy when we played the music, she was transformed. As the weeks went on, she came in with more and more ideas and I could tell that I had created something in her week that she actually looked forward to.
With all these examples I think the young people involved started to realise things about themselves that they didn't know before - that anything is possible, that they do actually have good social skills, that people care about them, that they have talent. And, I suppose, I realised exactly the same things about myself.
Harry Wheeler, filmmaker.
I joined the team at the tail end of the pandemic, a challenging period for everyone, especially for isolated young people. Over the last three years I’ve worked closely with VIBE members to produce animations and short films, and it’s amazing to see how our vibrant creative atmosphere has a positive impact on both the members and us facilitators.
I’ve gained a lot from my time here, and I will certainly miss it. One of my biggest takeaways from the project is the fact that there’s no pressure on VIBE members to make anything, it's not like a capitalist factory where we have to churn out products, and it’s this lack of pressure, which is crucial in nurturing a creative atmosphere, allowing everyone to simply be themselves. Some members may come along to our sessions for years without creating anything, only to suddenly engage in almost all creative projects that we offer.
Conversely, some individuals may not hon a distinct creative skill necessarily, but through their gradual involvement, and being in this creative open atmosphere they find the confidence to communicate with adults and peers, so from being relatively mute this is quite a significant psychological breakthrough.
When we come up against a creative problem here at VIBE, one of my favourite things to do is to reach out to a VIBE member for their input. I do this for two main reasons: first, it provides them with the experience of being seen as a creative authority, which they may not have experienced before, and secondly, they often come up with valuable solutions.
For instance, we collaborated with a charity to create an animation explaining how asylum seekers can access healthcare in the UK. Our goal was to represent diversity in the characters without pinpointing specific ethnic backgrounds. This approach saved us from the time and resources, required, to find specific voice actors, (which we did not have) while also allowing our VIBE members the experience of taking on the voice actor roles. One member suggested a brilliant solution: why not represent the characters as planets, each from different places but inherently the same? We decided that Earth would serve as the translator and all the other characters slotted in accordingly. All expertly illustrated by long time VIBE member and volunteer Jenny.
8. THE IMPACT DURING LOCKDOWN
During the Covid-19 lockdown we continued to offer support to young people through the development of online packages. These packages were designed by our creative writing, visual art, music, and photography artists through contact with young people to ensure that the packages were as efficacious as possible in continuing to develop young people’s resilience to the challenges they face. Social isolation can test even the most resilient and we were very mindful of the importance of assuring our members that we were still there for them and able to continue helping them develop their creativity.
We also produced and shared with our partner organisations an invitation to young people across the borough to join SWCT. This led to two young people making contact and signing up with us.
We invited 6 young people to train to become SWCT Volunteers in addition to continuing to develop their personal resilience through creativity. They have all accepted and are looking forward to embarking on their training when we reopen.
We continually monitored the government advice/instruction around what is allowed/safe and put together a Covid-19 SWCT reopening checklist to enable us to welcome young back to our venue as soon as possible. We also regularly checked that the premises were secure and acquired the necessary PPE and cleaning/sanitizing products. We sought and received advice in these matters from Hollybank Trust.
9. SOME YOUNG PEOPLE CHOSE TO PERFORM TO A SELECT AUDIENCE
YOUNG PEOPLE SHARE THEIR CREATIVITY AT ROCHDALE LITERATURE AND IDEAS FESTIVAL SWCT JUST LISTEN - PERFORMANCE AND EXHIBITION
SWCT House Band got things off to a rocking start. Ahsan on keyboards, William, bass guitar and guitar from music facilitator Dave gave a live performance of tunes written by
Ahsan and William. Amazingly William had only picked up a bass guitar for the first-time weeks earlier.
William gave an engaging illustrated talk about his photographs of different forms of transport. William, who likes to be known as Ashigara, shared not only his skills as a photographer but also an extensive knowledge of his subject matter. Having already played his own composition with the House Band we saw a video of him playing the Binns organ in Rochdale Town Hall emphasising just what a multi-talented young person he is.
Emma gave a very moving rendition of a powerful self-written monologue. In the voice of central character, Ethan, she explored bullying and related mental health issues in a performance that brought tears to the eyes of many in the audience.
Matthew, who is currently working his own composition, shared a song that means very much to him as it encapsulates how he sometimes feels. He sang Gonna Build a Wall from Shrek the Musical powerfully and expressively with a rendition of the final chorus laced with emotion.
Jack, the youngest member of the group, bravely shared an excerpt from the stand-up comedy routine he is working on.
Jenny shared her stunning artwork with an illustrated introduction to the characters she has created. She remembered the first time she came to SWCT HUB, sitting quietly on her own, not wanting to speak to anyone. She has now just started an Art Degree at Bolton University!
Adam and Matt gave an impromptu live performance of the comedy sketch they are currently filming.
Ahsan who had played his keyboard composition with the House Band earlier brought proceeding to a close with a hilarious stand-up routine.
Audience members left with a smile on their faces, a tear in their eyes and pride in their hearts.
10. OTHERS CHOSE TO TAKE TO THE BIG STAGE
With an audience of 200 people in the Middleton arena.
The audience were told:
‘What you are about to see is not a show, not a competition; these young people are not wannabees
This is an opportunity to hear the stories young people can tell.
As anyone who reads our page in the Rochdale Observer, Heywood Advertiser and Middleton Guardian will know, we are firm believers in the power of storytelling.
Stories help us release trauma.
They also help us prepare for it.
You sit down and read or listen to fictional or real life stories and imagine how you would behave if that were you or someone you love.
As well as listening to the stories of others we are all natural born storytellers.
We are constantly editing and remaking our memory stories as our knowledge and emotions change.
They may be fictions – but they are our fictions.
However, we do not write these stories alone – the human is susceptible.
Friends and family are forever distorting one another’s memories.
Forgetting and remembering is a source of freedom to reinvent oneself, to move on, to rewrite our stories.
It means old wounds may not hurt forever, that memories can be allowed to fade, that people can change.
SWCT is a project designed to encourage and enable young people who have experienced traumatic episodes in their lives to tell and share their stories.
Listening is a prerequisite of empathy, a growing awareness that we are not alone, that we all have emotional responses to the dark and light episodes in our lives.
Listening helps develop a greater awareness of our shared humanity.
Having secured funding for SWCT from NHS Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale CCG, in January we invited three groups of very diverse young people aged 11-21.
They took part in workshops with artists who introduced them to different ways of telling a story.
They then chose the way they wanted to tell their story and in a few minutes some of them will share their stories with you.
Not all of them felt ready to share but all now possess their own stories in a format that works for them.
Some of their stories are read by Isabel Ford and Jenny Bailley and sung by Rebecca Whitehead.’
The Performers:
ZAHRAA– LEAVING – story read by Zahraa with her own PowerPoint
ALIAA – BAD TIMES NEVER LAST - Song written by Aliaa and sung by Rebecca
CURTIS – TRAPPED - his own short video
TEEGAN – JOURNEY OF LIFE – story written by Teegan and read by Jennie Bailey
MADDIE – LETTERS FROM A LOST GIRL – letters written by Maddie and read by Isabel Ford
ARMAN – ARMAN’S STORY – rap written and performed by Arman
ALA – THE CHANGE OF LIFE – story read by Ala with her own power point
VICKY – THE LITTLE GIRL – story written by Vicky and read by Jennie Bailey
SHAZ - BOOK OF SECRETS – story written by Shaz and read by Jennie Bailey
CASSIE – HERO - song written by Cassie and sung by Cassie with Rebecca
ELLA – KEEP CALM and FLIP – short film of Ella trampolining with her own words
BRANDON – DON’T DRAG ME DOWN - rap written by Brandon and performed to his own backing track
TARA – I AM WHAT I MAKE ME – song written and sung by Tara
VICTORIA – PRINCESS – story written by Victoria and read by Jennie Bailey
KARRINA – MOTHER KNOWS BEST – song written and sung by Karrina
TONY – PERRIN’S DAY – images drawn by Tony
RHYS – WOLF NIGHT – song written and recorded by Rhys
ASH – TRIBUTE TO JACK- song written by Ash
SARA – A TRIP FROM DEATH – story read by Sara with her own power point
11. SOME CHOSE TO CREATE THEIR OWN MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
YOUTH MUSIC GUITAR PROJECT gave young people the opportunity: to build their own guitar, to learn to play guitar, to learn some music theory and composition, to make a studio recording playing their guitar.
Each young person had:
One-to-one and group sessions with a guitar tutor/music teacher.
A guitar-building kit and support of a technician to build their own guitar.
Use of a recording studio with support of a recording technician.
A personal tutor to guide and support them through the project.
Support in monitoring their own progress through the project and their overall sense of well-being.
Encouragement to play in project a house band.
Access to all SWCT facilities and opportunities.
12. IMPACT OF CREATING A GUITAR
A young woman from a Bangladeshi Family referred by partner organisation MIND.
A history of domestic abuse with more general dis-functional relationships within the family. This had contributed to her having issues of trust in relationships and very low self-esteem.
She reported having had little support from school or college.
After joining SWCT she chose to take part in the Youth Music Guitar Project. She quickly became very enthused by the workshops saying, ‘I have never been allowed to use tools before, this is great’. She quickly built her guitar and worked hard at learning to play. Her new-found enthusiasm for music led her to wanting to also learn to play drums. SWCT facilitated drum lessons for her with a professional rock drummer [member of DARE and Barclay James Harvest, also Lisa Stansfield’s session drummer]. She has formed an excellent relationship with her drum tutor which has had positive effects on them both.
She reported feeling well-supported and valued contributing to her being more confident in herself and being more able to trust people. Her renewed confidence and motivation is evidenced by – achieving Silver Art Award, become a valuable volunteer at SWCT working alongside younger people [young people relate well to her], proactive contributor to SWCT team meetings, went back in college getting very good grades then applying University, achieving a first in Biomedical Science, she is now employed by the NHS.
13. THE CREATIVE VIBE IN ACTION
We developed Vibecast project including Animation.
Examples of members’ productions can be viewed at:
Member Drew Hurst - https://www.vibecreativity.com/post/vibecast-s-first-animation and https://youtu.be/hskWnJyQCrc
Drew working with Jenny on her drawing skills
Liam one of our youngest - 'Gummy Lies' -
Long-term Viber and now valued Volunteer produced a video about his VIBE Membership - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ns7wfW8XMc8
The Vibecast Team also produced a video of our Shutters Mural Project -
Vibecast Production Team workshop
Two of our young Vibers created some powerful vocal tracks with DJ/Producer Dave
Alfa created some vibrant beats
Warhammer-inspired art
Long-time Viber Will created some great music with Vibe Musician Dan
Victor’s guitar playing reached new highs
Long time Viber, who became a Trustee of the Charity, Jenny created some stunning avatars for a video project
A young asylum seeker created a picture of the village she had left behind.
Feeling good about her visual art creation.
Some young people chose to achieve Arts Awards and others to have their creativity celebrated across social media platforms and in local print media.
14. SETTING UP NEW PREMISES [following our venue becoming unfit for use]
16 DRAKE STREET
UNIT 2 MACLURE ROAD
15. OUR YOUNG PEOPLE’S CREATIVITY CONTINUED TO MAKE QUITE AN IMPACT!
Victor and Stephen laid down new tracks with Dan
Liam made his first animation supported by Harry, Adam, and Jenny
Shay designed and stitched
Adam produced some new videos supported by Harry
Jenny created a great design for the guitar she is building
She also added some art to brighten up our new premises
Victor, Stephen, and Nick jammed
Nick designed and built his own guitar
Our talented artist Jenny worked with our journalist and writer Kirsty on developing a story to accompany her art. With support, Jenny has written some great scripts including a colourful tale called Circus Freaks.
Sam developed his artistic side supported by Adam
Nick laid down drums tracks to his favourite Beatles tunes
And entertained us with his rapidly developing guitar prowess
Adam developed his drawing skills for an animation under the tutelage of Seamus
Jenny found the time to design our new logo
She also published her first art book!
Some wonderful sounds were created
Kyle's dance track
RAP and tunes from FloFlex
A song by Astro/Maxx
Matt Piano Skit
Nick Organ Loop - take from an epic 10 minute drone fest
Oskar Piano piece
Victor Bassline with arrangement
17. The VIBE TEAM included mentors with different creative skill sets who supported such as music, visual art, creative writing, and film making. Young people also were encouraged and supported to work alongside expert creatives and technicians to develop their creativity in whatever areas they choose, across the whole spectrum of creativity.
STEVE COOKE [co-lead and co-founder]
Steve is an experienced educator and creative arts columnist.
Lead writer of the AATA family of writers producing articles, interviews, previews, and reviews to celebrate and champion creative arts and artists on website www.allacrossthearts.com – shared on Social Media Platforms: Facebook, Instagram, X and LinkedIn.
Curator of the Across the Arts column published in print twice per week in the Rochdale Observer, quarterly in Rochdale Style Magazine and online https://www.inyourarea.co.uk
A 30-year high school teaching career 1974-2005. Assistant Head teacher at a performing arts school responsible for achieving specialist school status. Speaker at education conferences and training programmes. Member of government advisory groups. A level Sociology teacher with a MA in Education
A member of Foreign and Commonwealth Office Olympic Truce Stakeholders Group 2010-2012. Achieving 2012 Olympic Truce status for a Greater Manchester peace-related project registered on the International Olympic Committee Extranet.
Co-author of the bid that established Rochdale Legal Advice Partnership [RLAP] and chair of the RLAP Board.
A former trustee of YourTrust, ex-Vice Chair of Rochdale Law Centre and Chair of Can’t Dance Can, member of the Rochdale Refugees and Asylum-Seekers Multi-agency Forum and Rochdale in Rainbows Steering Group.
A Justice of the Peace for Greater Manchester sitting 2007- 2018.
Curator of the Rochdale Literature and Ideas Festival Fringe Writers’ Showcase.
COLIN HUGHES [co-lead and co-founder]
Colin has over thirty years-experience working with young people as a youth and community worker and an area officer, working for both the statutory and voluntary sectors.
He also has worked in schools delivering the Different but Equal, Transferable Skills and Anti-bullying courses.
Colin has extensive management experience including volunteer projects, young carers projects, a recording studio, an internet radio station, and a drop-in café hub.
He has been responsible for training staff and volunteers in youth work-related skills, child protection and vulnerable adults.
Colin has created and managed many successful projects for young people
He has been responsible for writing effective policies, in-keeping with young-persons legislation.
Colin has lectured at Salford University on both visual arts and teacher training courses.
SEAMUS KELLY [co-lead]
Seamus has been a member of the Vibe team for five years specialising in supporting young people through creative writing and is currently supporting a group developing Vibecast, a recorded and livestream opportunity for the members to share their artwork, photography, music, creative writing, and reviews to a wide audience.
Seamus is a poet, writer, photographer, and artist and has worked as a writer since 2015. He has performed his work across greater Manchester and beyond including high profile performances at the Eroica Festival in Derbyshire.
With 14 years of teaching in colleges, high schools, and special education he has also developed an extensive range of workshops for writers and artists Seamus has facilitated and delivered workshops on a wide range of topics for schools, libraries, writing groups, and community organisations.
Seamus was the originator and one of the commissioned poets for Connect2 Poetry, creating a poetry trail around Rochdale’s extensive Connect2 network of walking and cycling routes.
As an environmentalist, with a degree in Ecology to go alongside an HND in Graphic Design and a Post Graduate Certificate in Education Seamus is a rare combination of scientist and creative; prone perhaps to thinking (and talking) too much.
His first short collection of poetry “Thinking Too Much” is filled with poems inviting the reader to think about life, family, nature, politics, justice, peace, and society. Prominent Yorkshire poet James Nash said of Thinking Too Much “Seamus Kelly’s poetry is the poetry of journeys and places. Sometimes that place is the past and sometimes it is where nature and people intersect. But always it is written with a kind of passionate precision, and with great humanity”
JOHN COOKE [photography and digital art]
John spent 12 years in the British Army then spent 12 years in the IT industry designing large databases for banks and insurance companies. He now is an exhibiting digital artist and photographer.
ALISON COOPER [music and visual art]
Alison is a musician, composer, visual artist, and museum curator. Her experience as a creative educator, community worker and project manager has brought together a socially engaged practice combining these unique elements.
Seeking to develop new understandings between narratives of landscape, material culture and human interaction is a key influence on the work she creates. Influenced by the intriguing nature of archive and museum collections Alison works to bring a fresh understanding to historic narratives which can never truly be replicated, only re-visioned. The collection of personal narratives, studying of archives, folklore and material culture are central to achieving this.
Performing and releasing music under the name Magpahi, she has toured UK and Europe and has numerous releases via Twisted Nerve, Bird Records, Finders Keepers Records, Folklore Tapes and A Year in the Country. As a visual artist she also works in a variety of mediums including photography, printmaking, animation, textiles and has a foundation course in herbal medicine.
Recent clients include BBC, In-Situ (Pendle), Gallery Oldham, Touchstones Rochdale, Barnardo’s, Hebden Bridge Arts Festival, Yorkshire Sound Women Network, South Square Gallery, and The Whittaker Museum. Alison has a full DBS and is qualified to run Arts Award (Trinity College London).
HARRY WHEELER [Video and animation]
Harry Wheeler is an award-winning filmmaker and photographer who has been playing with still and moving images since he first got his hands on a lens. He is captivated by the creative process and often draws inspiration from his dreams. In 2005, at the dawn of YouTube, he began honing his filmmaking skills by launching his channel HARMONICROOMS. There, he focused on giving a platform to outsider artists who have embarked on unique creative journeys, producing short “In Conversation with…” films featuring artists who have come to achieve international acclaim, including Richard Dawson, Josephine Foster, and Steffen Basho-Junghans.His work frequently explores themes of nature, community, and the distinctive realm of human creative expression. He states, “I’m on a mission to capture the world’s mystery on film, in order to share it with others.”Harry is drawn to stories and perspectives that are often overlooked, believing that “when more subtle aspects of ourselves are expressed on screen, countless people can relate to them, and this newfound common ground binds community and creates connection.”With nearly two decades of freelancing under his belt, he has collaborated with a variety of arts organisations, including galleries, museums, dance companies, music festivals, record labels, and community arts groups.He has also contributed to several Heritage Lottery Funded projects in various capacities, such as teaching film courses, teaching adults to use Photoshop, and creating high-adventure animations and films with young people, which has allowed him to help foster peoples creativity across diverse communities.
DAN BRIDGWOOD-HALL [music]
Dan is a much in demand session musician, solo artist and band member. He is a recording artist with experience in a wide range of genres and is a highly skilled multi-instrumentalist.
KIRSTY OLCZAK [writing]
Kirsty is Senior journalist and editor with bylines in The Guardian, New Scientist, Happiful, and Metro UK. Proud owner of The Copy Hub, which offers press management, PR and creative content solutions for B2B and B2C audiences. Currently working as a multimedia journalist at Rochdale Online News. She has also worked as a teacher in Spain and as a journalist in Prague, Czechoslovakia.
DAVE CONDON [guitar and music technology]
Dave is a guitarist and guitar teacher who is also skilled in the technical side of creating and recording music. He can teach from the beginner to the accomplished.
DAVE JESSOP [DJ and radio]
Dave has a background in youth work and is a DJ, producer and broadcaster. He is both a performer and studio whizz having produced and remixed a lot of tracks for recording artists.
REBECCA WHITEHEAD [singer songwriter]
Rebecca is a Singer/Songwriter. Her debut album, Crazy love was released 2014 and was an eclectic mix of Hip hop/ R&B and Dance, encompassing the unique sound of Electronic and Acoustic mix. Rebecca then started to learn to play the guitar and together with her husband Kev Whitehead created Between The Vines. Rebecca’s passion over the last 5 years has been for Country music, especially Country Rock. The more she listened and learned, the more she wanted to create and be part of that genre. Throughout her career Rebecca has had the opportunity to work with world class artists such as Lisa Stansfield, Ian Devaney, Kev Whitehead (drummer for Dare, Barclay James Harvest), Ste Boyce Buckley ( producer at Gracielands studio) and many more.
KEV WHITEHEAD [drums and percussion]
Kev is a professional drummer/percussionist whose earliest venture into professional playing was recording with a band called Blue Zone which featured a very young Lisa Stansfield. Since then, he has recorded many albums with Lisa, including her two most recent ‘Seven’ and ‘Deeper’.Over the years Kev has recorded and performed live with Pete Lockett, The Christians, The Animals, Proud Mary, Yazz and many more. Kev joined John Lees’ Barclay James Harvest in 1999 and Dare in 2008 and tours most parts of the world with these 2 bands. His most recent venture is a country rock band called Between The Vines alongside his wife Rebecca, and they have a new album out called ’50 Ways To Beautiful’.
BUSHRA SULTANA [visual arts]
Bushra describes herself as ‘a Muslim Pakistani woman brought up in a western world.’
She is an inspirational creative woman who is very well-travelled having visited India, Nepal, Africa, Peru, South East Asia, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Bangkok. Unusually for a woman, especially with her cultural background, Bushra travels alone!
She explains ‘I am Inspired by my dad, the most amazingly intellectually cultural man, who allowed me to be who I am and to express myself. As a Muslim woman my dad, Samiullah Allahbakhsh, encouraged me to be independent and to go and find places.’
Bushra took a fine art degree at the prestigious Bretton Hall. ‘My degree work was all to do with fluid identity. As a Muslim Pakistani brought up in a western world you can be quite restricted in what you can do. Fluid identity is about the people you meet from whom you take mannerisms and ideas. That is what I tried to express in my degree work. It was very abstract, very layered with a lot of collage stuff.’
Since then, she has had solo exhibitions, worked at the Urbis in Manchester and does a lot of community arts work. She currently is employed by the Culture Co-op. Her career as a teacher has included working in EBD [Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties] Schools and in Further Education Colleges.
18. THE GALLERY
PRIDE IN CREATIVITY
VIDEO WORKSHOPPING
PANTOMIME TRIP
CREATIVE WORKSHOPS
WE DECORATE OUR SHUTTERS
VISIT FROM CHILDREN’S COMMISSIONER
SAYS IT ALL!
19. OUR FUNDERS ASSESSMENT OF OUR IMPACT
NHS GM Investment and Service Review – VIBE ROCHDALE
1. RESPONSIBLE OFFICER CONTACT DETAILS
am
Role | Name | Contact Details |
Deputy Place Lead | Nichola Thompson | |
Assistant Director of Health and Integration | Charlotte Mitchell | |
Associate Director of Finance | Simon O’Hare | |
Commissioning Lead | Rachel McDonald | |
Quality Lead | Jackie Woodall |
2. SERVICE SUMMARY INFORMATION
(Commissioners to complete this section)
Service/Scheme Name | Vibe Creativity / the Stories we can tell |
Provider Name | VIBE |
Provider Contract Details | Grant |
Contract End Date | 31st March 2025 |
Source of Funding | MHIS |
Annual Contract Value | £41,233 |
Notice Period | 6 months |
3. SERVICE OVERVIEW
(Provider to complete this section)
Brief Description of Service/Scheme to answer the following questions |
What does the service/scheme do? Helps young people to become more resilient to the challenges they face through engaging with the creative arts. Vibe has been commissioned to engage children and young people aged 11-24 years in the creative arts and to help build their emotional intelligence and resilience to the challenges they face and may face in the future.
Vibe’s aim for children and young people (members) are to: · Provide more opportunities for both being creative and experiencing high-quality culture. · Allow members to reflect and comment on society, to better understand their own lives and those of others, and to occupy a shared space in which they can debate, present alternative views, and discover new ways of expressing their anxieties and ambitions. · Identify and enable the development of individual assets rather than focusing on needs and problems. · To value the creative potential in each member, provide them with more opportunities to enjoy culture, and celebrate greatness of every kind. · Provide an opportunity to develop skills and gain qualifications, including Arts Awards, and access to further and higher education. · Encourage and support members to seek employment and training including across the whole spectrum of the creative industries as creatives and technicians.
The service believes that developing resilience through navigating, overcoming, and recovering from adversity as a key ingredient for happiness, success, and satisfaction in life.
The VIBE core team includes mentors with different creative skill sets who can support such as music, visual art, creative writing, and film making. Members also are encouraged and supported to work alongside expert creatives and technicians to develop their creativity in whatever areas they choose, across the whole spectrum of creativity.
VIBE has facilities and facilitators to encourage and enable members to share what they create in their own way, when and with whom they choose.
Members are given a voice, and the wider community are encouraged to listen through AATA: local print media, social media, website, exhibition, and public performance.
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Who is the target population (e.g. age, range, medical condition?). Include severity of need.
Children and young people aged 11-24 who are experiencing mental health challenges.
VIBE members include: · young people who may have experienced traumatic episodes in their lives. · young people who have or are at risk of developing mental health issues. · young people such as: asylum seekers/refugees, looked-after, self-harming, self-medicating, autistic, with gender identity issues, bullied and abused.
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Where is the service provided?
Rochdale. The service is delivered centrally in Rochdale Town Centre close to public transport routes. |
Please describe the service access criteria, including how service users are referred into the service.
Children and young people are referred into the service by organisations such as CAMHS, Early Break, Young Carers, local colleges and schools. Members are drawn from the whole spectrum of Rochdale’s diverse community, and many come to Vibe through our social media presence and at the recommendation of our members themselves. Young People are also supported into Vibe via the children’s Dynamic Support Register (DSR).
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On average, how long do service users access the service?
On average 6 -9 months. We have some young people who have accessed the service for 8 years. Some members have become volunteers when they have aged out of the service offer.
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Please describe briefly the pathway of the service? i.e. referral pathway to discharge.
Young people are referred into the service by an array of services supporting young people locally. Quite often, young people are brought to the service by their worker, i.e. camhs practitioner, keyworker etc. VIBE allow young people to access the support available in a way that is comfortable for them. There is no pressure for young people to get involved in the activities until it feels right for them. Staff ensure that young people feel at ease and over time build up a trusting relationship with the young person so that they are able to participate in whichever creativity they are interested in, or they can have a taster of different activities. The service does not discharge as such as young people are able to continue to access support for as long as they need it. Young people are welcome to dip out of the service and come back as they need to do.
We continuously signpost and support young people to access education and training, employment and voluntary work. |
4. LINK TO STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES
(Commissioners and Provider to complete this section)
Contribution to Strategic Objectives
| Provide brief details
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Do the service outcomes align with JSNA identified priorities at GM or locality level? (Define which and to what extent)
| The whole ethos of VIBE service delivery Is support young people to build their own emotional resilience to help them deal with all of what life throws at them as they grow into adults and throughout adult life. It links closely to building block 8 which is about the importance of improving internal thinking helping young people to feel in control and manage the ups and downs of their lives. It also aligns with building block 7 as it encourages young people to have an active life. Many young people accessing the service are socially isolated, do not have many friends and may not be attending school. Attending Vibe may be the only element in the lives at that time that they feel able to do. |
Do the service outcomes align with the GM Joint Delivery Plan outcomes and priorities or Locality Plan? (Define which and to what extent)
| Joint Forward Plan | Greater Manchester Integrated Care Partnership (gmintegratedcare.org.uk)
Vibe helps vulnerable young people from diverse communities stay emotionally well. Young people attending VIBE may be reluctant to engage with other statutory services. As the service is able to build trusting relationships with the young person, they are able to detect when a young person’s mental health is deteriorating and offer support including liaising/signposting with other services to get the help the young person may need. |
Does the service/model support reducing inequalities for GM people? (Define which and to what extent)
| Inequalities | Greater Manchester Integrated Care Partnership (gmintegratedcare.org.uk)
Poor mental health impacts all sections of our society regardless of age, gender, race, sexuality, religion or wealth. Any-one can be at risk of poor mental health but some people, are more likely to be affected, including young people who have experienced traumatic life events, or those young people who do not feel understood or that they fit in. Vibe is accessible for all young people and its members are from a range of diverse backgrounds. It is a service that allows young people to engage at their own pace without judgement or stigma and promotes listening, empathy and understanding.
Vibe is inclusive in its approach to supporting young people from diverse communities including asylum seekers, Neurodiverse (ASC/ADHD), Cared for Children, poor mental health, Emotionally based School Avoiders.
Vibe is a service with a wealth of experience in supporting young people from diverse backgrounds who may be reluctant to engage with other statutory services.
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Does the service/model support improving population outcomes? Particularly focusing on prevention and early intervention? (Define how and at what scale)
| The service was commissioned Initially to enhance the service offer and pathways of #Thrive, which also includes social prescribing as an element of the service offer. By its very nature, the service supports prevention and early intervention as the aim is to support many marginalised young people, who may be socially isolated to have opportunities to learn new skills and activities that they are interested in, make friends and grow in confidence along the way. |
Does the service/model address inequity of service provision and access across Greater Manchester or locality? (Define how and to what extent) | The service is open to all young people who need it from diverse communities and backgrounds. It is an equitable offer of support in the borough. |
5. QUALITY AND INNOVATION
(Provider to complete this section)
Overview of the outcomes and impact of the service
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What are the key expected outcomes, impact on Population Health.
Young people who feel more confident in themselves, who have gained a voice through the creative arts and who feel valued are less likely to self-harm, self-medicate, need professional interventions and are more likely to become useful members of the community.
Locally, in Rochdale, it is firmly believed that arts and culture (and sports and leisure activities) really do have a place in supporting children and young people’s emotional wellbeing and mental health and also emotional and mental health pathways. Young people have clearly articulated that they don’t always want to access CAMHS services and, they want to be able to access help when they want or need it, not when it’s convenient for the service. The young people also expressed what was important to them and their mental health, which included, having friends and social activities, doing things they enjoy, and having someone they could trust.
Vibe is able to bring this to the table. There are no time deadlines and missed appointments, young people attend if they want to do, and if they don’t, they don’t (although the service will follow up if they’ve missed a few); there are lots of opportunities to do things they enjoy, and try new things, as well as make new friends.
The offer from Vibe builds emotional resilience and quite often those who attend the sessions come very quiet, timid or shy but then they just grow in confidence and by the end they’re telling their story in front a whole audience, supporting other young people in the group and have developed new skills that can potentially lead them onto a career path that they may otherwise never have thought about. Vibe know how to build the trust of the young people and in the service, there is time to do this at a pace that is guided by the young person.
The outcomes of the service are to: · Build the emotional intelligence and resilience of young people · Reduce isolation, increase confidence, empathy and understanding · Develop friendships, whilst learning new skills that they may be interested in · Increase life chances of young people through ongoing support into education/workplace. · Reduce mental health escalation.
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20. THE ORIGINAL PROPOSAL
PROVIDE:
· A high quality, diverse, arts and culture offer to grow aspiration that clearly articulates the intrinsic, social and economic value of culture.
· Engagement with low arts attenders and non-traditional audiences across communities.
· An offer that engages young people on their terms, that is both relevant and accessible to them.
· A communal safe space.
· Building of ownership with young people.
AIMING to:
Give seldom-heard young people their voice. Young people aged 11-25 who face mental health challenges in their lives. Encouraging and enabling them to articulate, own and share their story in their own way.
Young People such as:
§ asylum seekers/refugees,
§ looked-after,
§ self-harming,
§ self-medicating
§ bullied,
§ abused
Referred to us through such as #Thrive, MIND, CAMHS, local schools and our young people themselves. Coming to us with a blank sheet, no labels, just encouraged to share with us as and when they want any information that will help us make their time with us better.
Young people are in complete control of how they create and express their story, no judging or measuring, trying new things and moving on when they are ready.
Encouraged to articulate, own and share their story through opportunities to learn skills including:
• interviewing,
• composing previews, reviews and interviews for broadcast, print and social media,
• creative writing,
• digital editing,
• live broadcasting,
• public performance,
• visual arts - animation, photography, drawing and painting,
• songwriting,
• guitar-building
• playing a musical instrument,
• any art-related skill that young people would like to access.
In an environment that is:
• supportive,
• welcoming,
• stimulating,
• safe.
With facilities that include:
• Positive Vibe Café,
• Vibe Recording Studio,
• Defiant Radio,
• Workshop space.
STEVE COOKE, MARCH 2025
07870951530
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