Songwriting workshops
Ensemble’s songwriting workshops are facilitated by a roster of musicians and artists that have included Donna Maciocia, Jo Mango, Clare McBrien, Zoe Graham, Jonnie Common, Djana Gabrielle, Jill O’Sullivan, Ross Clark, Lucy Cathcart Froden, Jamie Scott, Michael Timmons, Goodnight Louisa, and Martha Ffion. The workshops provide a safe space for participants to create lyrical and musical work, often with a specific thematic focus or stimulus, and often around the experiences of mental health, asylum seeking and homelessness. The workshops are intended to work for all musical abilities, and allow participants to take part in the way that works best for them, with the support of the musicians, Wheatley Care staff, and volunteers.
Recordings
Recordings are often created in the songwriting workshops using mobile recording solutions and Digital Audio Workstations, and in previous years Ensemble has also taken participants into professional recording studios to record their work. The debut album ‘No Place Like it’ was released in 2021. The collection of songs received widespread critical acclaim and can be found here:
Live work
Ensemble also hosts live showcases of their work, again with participants being supported by experienced, professional musicians. The most recent performance took place following a block of songwriting in February 2023.