Aim
Crossings is a project which aims to promote integration by creating opportunities for making music to people who are socially excluded, particularly those seeking asylum and refugees.
History
The project was initiated by Folk Music student, Lucy Fairley (retired co-director of Helix Arts, www.helixarts.com) who spent five months on Tyneside, researching asylum seekers' and refugees' responses to a possible music project.
Members of the committee, who came together through this research, are all either asylum seekers, refugees or are/have been involved in working with them (for example, North of England Refugee Service, The Comfrey Project, an adviser from African Women's Support Network, and Newcastle City Council's Community Cohesion Unit), and therefore all are intimately connected with their needs and interests.
A questionnaire for asylum seekers was also sent to the major refugee organisations on Tyneside. The results from these questionnaires demonstrated many asylum seekers' strong interest in being able to continue to play music in the UK, which they had been unable to do, as many do not possess an instrument or a place in which they can play. A number of people, especially women, expressed an interest in singing. This ranged from women who sang in choirs to those who would like to learn; a number of the latter said they would prefer a women-only group, with creche, in which they could feel able to express themselves more freely.
A number of refugee musicians said they did not understand the pathways to becoming professional performers in the UK. They felt that a music project would enable them to learn about local musical traditions through working with local musicians. They were excited about the potential of creating powerful new fusions - collaborative music evolving from the coming together of diverse traditions. They wanted to perform this music to the local community to demonstrate the positive contribution they could make to the cultural life on Tyneside.
Organisation
The committee consists of people drawn from the refugee community, meeting monthly to review the progress of the project. A subgroup, consisting of the Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, Secretary and Treasurer, meets more regularly to deal with operational issues.