Announcing: The 2023 Hands Together Project

This week we announce the launch of a brand new collaboration between The Song School and local community organisation; Project Southchurch via their campaign ‘Hands Together’.

Hands Together, Southend Against Hatred is a simplistic yet poignant campaign that was launched in Nov 21 by Project Southchurch. The original idea is to sign a banner as a symbolic act of defiance to those who wish to divide us through hate and terror, following the tragic death of Sir David Ames, MP. It shows our strength through unity and that tolerance and diversity runs through the very heart of this new City. It also spotlights the positive actions of a community working together, challenging perceptions. 

This summer will see new life breathed into the project through a collaboration with The Song School; a nonprofit Music School based here in Southend. The project will work with young musicians and creatives from the City, to write a new original song, plus create an accompanying music video, all centred around the theme of Hands Together - providing a platform for the City’s youth to add their voice to themes around the campaign.  

Across the project, young people will have the opportunity to take part in workshops on songwriting, recording, music production, music performance, storyboarding, multimedia, directing and acting. 

Of the project, Rob McAvoy founder at Project Southchurch says; “We are proud that the Project Southchurch Hands Together initiative has been transformed into this exciting music project. I’m really looking forward to the young peoples interpretation of the basis of the initiative and intrigued about what is produced without boundaries around their creativity. I want to thank The Song School for taking on this challenge and to the sponsors who have made this possible.”

The project has received support from a number of organisations including Arts Council England, Music on Sea and c2c Rail, meaning the project is free to attend for children and young people from low-income backgrounds; the main objective for The Song School, who work towards levelling access to extracurricular music education for all children and young people. 

Hands Together will take place across August and October School holidays at The Song School in Southend-on-sea. To find out more about the project including how to take part, click below;