Hundreds of children from many schools in North Flintshire and Wrexham came together over two days during March at the William Aston Hall in Wrexham to perform and sing in a brand new arts collaboration project called “AmaSing Fusion”
AmaSing Fusion is a new project for 2020 looking at One World celebrating our Differences, Diversity and Multiculturalism one of the aims of which will be to help schools support and inspire the broad and balanced curriculum, PSHE and wellbeing of students.
The projects will reach over 3000 children in North Wales, Cheshire and The Wirral during 2020/21. It is a fusion of arts (dance, drama, art, music, poetry), cultures, community and music all collaborating together for a common goal. AmaSing Fusion builds on community cohesion and brings many different communities, cultures, needs, ages working and learning together, supporting each other in a creative and inspiring way. It builds on people’s wellbeing, self-esteem and confidence and champions the equality act, celebrating that everyone is unique and special no matter what they do, where they come from etc.
Children from Flintshire and Wrexham schools attended a series of arts workshops where they created songs, dance, art , drama and poetry based around the theme. The music workshop took part at Coleg Cambria where the children worked with AmaSing Musical Director and composer Andrew Smith and created a song called Gyda’n gilydd- Together. This song is not only being sung by all 3000 children involved in the project but has even reached schools in South Wales and abroad in Australia, Georgia and India. Please AmaSings video gallery or Youtube Chanel for videos of performance from across the world. Another one of the songs “Inner Beauty in Me” has been created by children and adults with learning difficulties and was sponsored by Rawson Digital. Each song had an amazing back drop designed by one of the sponsors Lumisi and was projected to the stage while the children performed. During the art workshops sponsored by Oliver and Co Solicitors children created amazing portraits of children and refugees from around the world which were made into digital art for the shows and created a fantastic film which was played while the children sang “What a wonderful world” During dance, drama and poetry workshops children worked with arts specialists House of Dance, Una Meehan and The Literacy company. Films were created about these workshops by Canteencreate and were also screened at the performance shows.
The children performed 12 songs and were accompanied by the amazing AmaSing professional live band, many of the songs had been written especially for the project and all celebrated being unique. Along with the children performing pupils from Castell Alun High School, House of Dance school and The Wrexham Co-operative Choir astounded the audience with their talents. It was an extravaganza of musical skills showcasing fantastic local talent.
This project supports communities to come together, accept each other for who they are and work as a team. Last November children from 64 primary schools from Cheshire, Flintshire, Wrexham and the Wirral united to form the 1000 voice AmaSing choir to audition for Britain’s Got Talent. Unfortunately, after many discussions with the producers they didn’t make the live shows but will be trying again next year.
Children have been involved in the arts workshops with all participants concluding their projects and performing in a professional venue with a professional band (The William Aston Hall, Storyhouse in Chester and The Floral Pavillion New Brighton) and have the opportunity to experience something they wouldn’t do in everyday life in school.
The projects have been sponsored and supported by businesses and organisations such as Rawson Digital, Oliver and Co Solicitors, MBNA, Recognition Express, Lumisi and The Philip Barker Creative Centre.
Rachael Borman one of the directors of Amasing stated ” we have been running these projects in Cheshire for three years but this was the first year we have ran them in Flintshire and Wrexham and were so excited to work with all the new schools, teachers and communities . The children, staff and families have all been so amazing and supportive of each other and the pieces they have created in the workshops have been fantastic. The fact that Gyda’n gilydd- Together is being sung by children all around the world is just astonishing. It was so wonderful to hear hundreds of children singing our songs and come together as a huge Community choir celebrating their achievements throughout the project – they were all superstars and I can’t wait to run another project in 2021 and open it up to more schools and communities in North Wales”
AmaSing received some excellent and supportive feedback form the 2020 North Wales project. Please see below.
Hello Rachael
I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for all of your hard work and dedication to Amasing. It has been a thoroughly enjoyable experience for our pupils and I have personally loved it too.
To take your idea and turn it into what it has become is a very special thing indeed and I hope you take the time to pat yourself on the back for your wonderful achievement.
Your whole team have been fantastic but I would like to thank Kelly from House of Dance in particular as she put her heart and soul into getting the children to perform to the best of their ability tonight and the children really enjoyed her enthusiasm.
I hope you are able to enjoy a bit of a rest now it’s all over. I think you have definitely earned yourself some time to chill.
I hope we can get involved again next year. It’s been a truly Amasing experience 😊 Iain St Marys Flint
Ahh just wanted to say a huge big thank you for all your hard work and enthusiasm. My children absolutely loved every minute and we’ve had lovely comments from our parents who came too 😊It was such a fab night and I can only imagine how much hard work and effort it has taken from you to put it all together.
Hope you can relax once all the shows are done! Thank you again
Sarah xx
Deputy Head
Ysgol Sant Dunawd
The children thoroughly enjoyed themselves and a lot of them experienced something they never will again.
Our school would love to be involved again. Thanks very much for the opportunity. It was extremely well run and you did an Amasing job
Ian Price teacher Ewloe Green
We have absolutely enjoyed it and thank you for inviting us to perform and we would love to do it next year. It’s been a fab two days and well done to all your team, You have amazing colleagues and can’t wait for next year.
Sharon Nesbitt Performing arts teacher Castell Alun
Thank you so much for all your hard work, the children had such a wonderful afternoon and evening, it was brilliant and we were really proud to be part of it. There are a couple more schools who I know would like to be involved so if you let me know info for new project will pass info onto them. We would definitely like to be involved again it was a wonderful opportunity. I can’t believe the energy and motivation that you and the whole team have- you do an amazing job quite literally.
Ceri Deputy Acrefair School
The Amasing concert was fantastic and all the children had a brilliant time. All our parents told me how super it was. Well done to you and the team:)
Rob Borras Park School Head Teacher.