Infusion

From November 2005 to August 2007 Sound It Out received funding through the ESF’s Equal Programme to run Infusion, a training and development programme for exiled musicians followed by a series of music workshops and performances in community centres across Birmingham with the aim of combating prejudice towards refugees and asylum seekers, raising awareness of different cultures and promoting interculturality.

Following publicity in a range of community languages, we identified a team of 8 trainees from Albania, Angola, Congo, Iran, Iraqi Kurdistan, Sudan, Zimbabwe. The trainees received 20 training sessions between October and December 2006 with mentoring support from two exiled musicians.

The training covered a range of aspects of community music practise and also brought together the diverse musical cultures of the trainees to create an accessible musical set. 

On completing the training, the Infusion trainees ran a series of 20 music workshops and 6 performances for schools and community groups across 4 targeted areas; Nechells, Handsworth, Castle Vale and Kings Norton reaching approximately 510 people aged between 5 and 65 years old.

Feedback from community leaders in all four communities bore out the appropriateness of the Infusion workshops as a means of combating negative views and stereotypes. Particularly in Kings Norton and Castle Vale where negative attitudes towards refugees and asylum seekers are particularly prevalent, the project had a positive impact on local people.

This impact was further reinforced through a positive collaboration with artSites Birmingham, Banner Theatre, Craftspace Touring and Community Integration Partnership through the Soups and Stories community socials.

We also produced a CD of the music created by Infusion and the project featured in the Home From Home conference and DVD.

Since completing the project, the Infusion ensemble has been asked to play at a range of public events including Refugee Week, Arts Fest and the Town Hall Re-Opening. 6 of the 8 trainees have accessed other music and training opportunities following project completion.

“In the beginning cultural differences made it hard to understand how we could create music together. This is not a problem anymore” Infusion trainee

“There is a general negative attitude (towards refugees and asylum seekers) on the Vale. Whilst the participants didn’t express these attitudes there was real change in their behaviour… The adults really interacted with Infusion. Many people commented on the fact that it was really positive to meet different people and hear different music”.
BCC Community Worker, Castle Vale