ben england music

Bradley Stoke

Ben England BA (Hons), PGCE, BEM is a music graduate of Bristol University, where he specialised in musical analysis, composing and musical direction. He trained as a conductor with Dr Alan Rump and Dr Adrian Beaumont, before going on to study conducting with Denise Ham of the London Conducting Academy. After graduation, Ben sang with groups as diverse as the New English Orchestra, the Bristol Chamber Choir, Bristol Opera, the Exultate Singers and the Choir of Clifton Cathedral. A bass baritone, he has performed widely as an oratorio and operatic singer, including lead roles in The Cunning Little Vixen and Der Mond (for Bristol Opera), The Magic Flute and the Pirates of Penzance. Ben currently teaches singing to adults and young people across the Bristol area. Ben is a former Musical Director of Bristol Opera, where he led the company in successful performances of Handel’s Samson and Lakmé by Delibes and he has led numerous choirs in and around Bristol for the past 20 years, including the large Bristol Cabot Choir and the Bristol Gilbert and Sullivan Operatic Society and a number of smaller choirs. Having qualified as an Advanced Skills Teacher (AST) of Music through the DfE Fast-Track Teaching programme, Ben worked for South Gloucestershire as a Head of Music and county Music and Music Technology specialist for eight years. In 2011 Ben took up the role of Director of Music at Colston’s Girls’ School, where he ran music across five schools (including four primary schools) from 2011-2016. His work as an educator brought him to the national stage on numerous occasions, as he lectured on music and leadership at conferences for the DfES and the National Association of Head Teachers. Ben has worked extensively with professional composers to champion their music, often commissioning and performing new works. These composers include local musicians Richard Barnard and Eric Wetherell, as well as more recently the eminent John Rutter and conducting a premiere by the renowned composer Patrick Hawes. Since leaving teaching, Ben has worked on a freelance basis for Bristol Plays Music, the music education hub for the City of Bristol, based at the Bristol Beacon (formerly Colston Hall). In this role he has organised and coordinated major performances at the Colston Hall, Bristol Cathedral and further afield. He managed the Bristol Youth Choir from 2016-2017 and coordinated the live BBC Radio/TV music broadcast from Southmead Hospital on BBC Music Day 2017. He has written award-winning education materials and been nominated for three national Music Teacher awards for his work on projects such as the Bristol/Monteverdi 450 choral workshops and university seminar and the Bristol Minute of Listening. He is the author of the curriculum materials for the planned international 2021 Berlioz celebrations. During the Coronavirus outbreak of 2020, Ben established HOMECHOIR, a free YouTube channel on which he broadcasts a range of free musical and educational programmes including choir rehearsals, music theory teaching and a Sacred Sing on Sunday mornings. In October of 2020, Ben (as founder of homechoir) was awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) by Her Majesty the Queen for services to the community during the COVID-19 outbreak. Following the success of the Quarantine Choir, Ben was appointed Musical Director of the Self-Isolation Choir (founded by inspirational business leader Mark Strachan) which in 2020 has grown to one of the largest choirs in the world. Their inaugural project Messiah at Home was produced with some of the world’s greatest musicians including Laurence Cummings, Carolyn Sampson and Jennifer Johnstone and gained international attention. Messiah at Home was featured on the national BBC Evening News, all the BBC radio stations, NHK (Japan) CBS (USA) and many more – and has become part of the official Wikipedia entry for Messiah. The choir has grown to 12,000 strong and has recorded such amazing works as Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Mahler’s 2nd Symphony, Mozart’s Requiem and Allegri’s Miserere – working with the world-famous choir Tenebrae and their conductor, Nigel Short. Ben conducted the Self-Isolation Choir in the World Premiere of Still, Still the Night by Patrick Hawes in December 2020, and their version of Hawes’ Quanta Qualia was played on Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs in March 2021. Ben is much in demand as a choral leader and has taken on the Musical Directorship of the UWE Singers, a large SATB choir based at the University of the West of England. Ben lives in the South-West of the UK with his wife Ana and their children Katie and Bobby.

downe house school

Berkshire

Downe House School - An independent boarding school in Berkshire for girls aged 11-18, Downe House is a traditional school with a sharp focus on the future. Every girl at Downe House is valued, supported and challenged as an individual and provided with an exceptional range of opportunities to explore and develop her strengths. So many things make the difference at Downe – we aim to ignite a love of learning and ensure that when the time comes to leave, she believes she can achieve anything.

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university of winchester

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Hampshire

We are passionate about seeing our students flourish. As a Winchester student you will have access to a rigorous education in a supportive and creative environment. You will be nurtured and challenged to grow as a confident and successful individual committed to a life of meaning and purpose, determined to challenge the status quo.

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east durham college

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Peterlee

That's what EDC is all about! Our aim is to give all of our students the opportunities they need to get far in the careers they want - that's why we offer hundreds of courses in a huge variety of different subject areas. Courses are open for anyone above the age of 16 - so whether you're fresh out of school looking for that next step or an adult wanting to retrain, EDC is the place to do it.

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sandwell college

West Bromwich

We are delighted that you are considering Sandwell College to prepare you for your next step towards university or employment. Deciding on the next stage of your journey isn’t always easy or straightforward, especially after such a challenging time for many young people and adults. We can guide you to get your future on track, with over 100 courses that lead to careers – including brand new T Levels, Apprenticeships and many other BTEC qualifications. Colleges will play a major part in boosting productivity, strengthening communities, and supporting people back into work with rich learning opportunities that will come with regional growth. We have a unique package of specialist and employer responsive courses leading to high quality qualifications, and aimed at specific career skillsets from teaching to social care and high-level management. Diversity is our strength at Sandwell College, and we’re proud to have over 90 languages spoken at our college. Our results are above national average and our state-of-the-art facilities are purpose built to offer you industry standard learning environments. I am extremely proud of the health and wellbeing support services we offer, ensuring that every student has access to the guidance they need within a safe and nurturing environment. Parents can be assured that their children will be protected from any type of harassment. We are committed to inspiring each and every school leaver and adult learner to fulfil their ambitions and ensure they’re supported every step of the way. I look forward to meeting you soon.

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alsager school

Stoke-On-Trent

I am proud to be Head of School at Alsager, I enjoy working with young people and shaping their futures. Alsager School is a fantastic community where we foster kindness and respect, as well as ensuring all students are fully prepared for life ahead. It is a wonderful place to be and I hope these resources and videos give you an insight to our Alsager School family.

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breech birth network

Kingston upon Thames

Hello!! My name is Muge and I am the founder of My Breathing Path! I was born in Istanbul, Turkey and I lived there until 2018. I was working in the Turkish finance industry for more than 10 years and during that time I was suffering from an advanced hernia in my neck. Working in a high stress environment and dealing with lots of problems at the same time, made me a super-achiever. I first came across breathwork in a workshop in 2010. It was extremely powerful but also it was completely different to the other techniques that I had tried before. As I continued to go to the sessions, it helped me to understand my behaviour as a perfectionist and its subsequent consequences for my life, the hernia and my unbalanced relationship with my family, friends and colleagues. After experiencing healing and transformation myself, I decided to become a facilitator. Since 2014, I have been working in the field of Transformational Breath as a Certified Transformational Breath Facilitator in private sessions, workshops and seminars while I continued to work in my finance career. I have experience in working with a wide variety of people – each possessing their own set of needs and goals. My further qualifications, Basic DNA Theta Healing Practitioner and Reiki II Certification are used in conjunction with Transformational Breath sessions to help people reach their potential and achieve their goals. Life is a combination of different journeys and within my new journey in the UK, I look forward to sharing my experiences through transformational breathing sessions with others, who want to discover more about themselves with transformation in their life, increase their self-awareness and live a healthier lifestyle.

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adderley nursery school

1HN,

Adderley is a very child-centred nursery, which means that children spend much of their day engaged in self-directed learning. The majority of the day is free-flow, meaning children choose to engage in a range of different activities, indoors and outdoors. Children engage in activities independently and with their friends, as well as taking part in adult facilitated activities that are planned from children's interests and developmental needs. We believe that at this young age children learn best through a play-based curriculum, with support from our experienced staff team who engage with children in their play to support social interaction, language development and further learning opportunities. Some key attributes we seek to develop in children include self-confidence, problem solving and independence. 2-4s Unlike many other settings, at Adderley our two to four year olds are all part of the same unit. They share the same space and access the same activities. The Nursery is led by qualified early years' teachers and experienced qualified Nursery Practitioners. Key Person Each child & family has a named key practitioner. This offers the opportunity for a special relationship to develop. The key practitioner builds a close relationship by acting as a companion for the child & being mindful to the needs of the child during each day. The key practitioner acts as a champion for child & parent. Sharing information and creating opportunities to talk with parents builds trust & partnership. Settling-in is a crucial time. Transitions Each child and family is unique. Before starting Nursery, we offer all children and families a pre-entry induction meeting at Nursery and sometimes a home visit. We have new children starting every term. We have a range of base areas that offer a place of security for children to explore the Nursery. The Loft Room and Green Room provision support our youngest children to make smooth transitions from home to Nursery. There are seamless internal transitions to Studio 1 and Studio 2 for older children. Studio 1 and Studio 2 offer continuity and progression. We work together to support the settling process. When parents feel comfortable in the setting it helps their children to settle. During the Summer Term we work closely with neighbouring primary schools to offer smooth transitions to Reception. Children leave with excellent primary school readiness. Rhythm of the Day Adderley feels like home. We create Rhythm in the Nursery through our daily routine. Some children arrive early for breakfast and stay for tea. These are nurturing, social times. For most children in Nursery the day begins with meeting & greeting by the key person. A group time with the key person takes place on entry to meet & plan learning (breathing in) (15 minutes). This is followed by a period of child-initiated play indoors & outdoors (breathing out & exploring the world) (90 minutes). A group time at end of the session to share food, reflect, share stories and singing (breathing in) (15 minutes). About the Nursery Rhythm also comes through personal care routines. Nappy changing, changing clothes, washing, eating, quiet/resting/sleeping times are learning and development times for key person and child. Children experience the seasons and feel connected to nature and its lifecycle. There is a planned yearly timetable for looking after the garden and visits to parks. There are unplanned spontaneous experiences connected to weather. Children participate in real experiences like shopping, gardening, cooking and caring for living creatures and plants Food and Nutrition We are passionate about fresh, healthy food that tastes great. The right nutrients can affect everyone's mood, behaviour, health, growth and even their ability to concentrate. Encouraging a well-balanced diet establishes healthy eating now and for the future. We offer hot meals that are brought onto site by specialist caterers in education establishments. The children also have access to a morning snack of fruit with water available throughout the day. We offer breakfast and tea to children who are with us for longer days. The children grow some of our food in the garden. Governing Body The Governing body plays a key role in overseeing the practice and ethos of the school. They provide challenge and support to the Executive Head teacher and leadership team. If you would like to be involved please ask at Reception. Annual Data At Adderley we track children's learning and development termly, seeking to ensure that children make good or better progress and continue to be stimulated and challenged by their nursery experiences. This information is shared with families at termly reviews. We also use this data to identify curriculum development priorities. Working with Parents We value parental input very highly. We are always looking for parents to join our Governing Body which s a way to be involved in the direction that Adderley takes moving forwards. Each term parents meet with their child's Key person and contribute to identifying 'next steps' for their child's learning and development. We encourage families to share children's learning experiences from home through the Tapestry documentation tool.

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feelgood theatre productions

London

Founded by Artistic Director Caroline Clegg Feelgood have been creating award winning theatre since 1994 fusing the unusual with the imaginative - classical texts and ground breaking new commissions at traditional and site specific venue. A cappella singing and drumming, Shakespeare and African dance, abseiling, pyrotechnics and fire sculpting with music and drama - in parks, cliff tops, garden centres, African townships, museums and traditional theatres, national tours and West End transfers. We have distinguished ourselves with an array of acclaimed shows following our spectacular launch with the musical Our Girls in 1994, where the audience lined the runway at Barton Aerodrome and looked on in awe as a World War II bomber landed to disembark the cast. We have followed that with 24 years of incredible productions: Blue Remembered Hills, Pictures at An Exhibition, (Mussorgsky), La Boheme (Puccini), Wind in the Willows, Robin Hood, The Wizard of Oz, Rosa, The Three Musketeers, Dracula - The Blood Count, Arthur - King of the Britons, Macbeth and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, national tours and West End transfers of Not About Heroes, and we were honoured to be presented to HM The Queen and HRH Duke of Edinburgh at the opening of The Lowry theatre where we opened our production of Crystal Clear followed by The Wizard Of Oz, which sold out for their first Christmas show. Integral to each production is our commitment to making innovative education and community programmes. In 2007, Artistic Director Caroline Clegg and the company were awarded the prestigious Horniman Award at the Manchester Evening News Awards for their outstanding contribution to live theatre. They also hold the Angel Award for Artistic Excellence and Caroline was awarded the John Thaw Fellowship at the University of Manchester in honour of her companies work. In 2002 we developed Romeo & Juliet - Thando & Ruvhengo a riveting multi-cultural production made in Bulawayo Zimbabwe and performed in Bulawayo, Harare and Manchester as part of the Culture Shock Commonwealth Games programme. The journey was made into an award-winning documentary. In 2009 we collaborated in Manchester with the thrilling company exiled from Zimbabwe Theatre Under Fire to create our incredibly moving Macbeth in Heaton Park. In 2010 the world premiere of Slave - A Question of Freedom (the story of Mende Nazer) followed a trajectory of thrilling work from Africa that aims to celebrate the joy of diversity and raise awareness of modern slavery. It won the Pete Postlethwaite Best New Play Award and the Inaugural Human Trafficking Foundation Media Award which was presented at No 10 Downing Street. It was also performed in the House of Lords to aid the Nuba Mountains Solidarity campaign to highlight not only slavery in Sudan but the continued persecution of the Nuba people. In 2014 on the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the Frist World War we followed in the footsteps of Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon went on an 18 venue national and European tour of Not About Heroes. We began at Craiglockhart War Hospital and toured across the UK to places pertinent to them both including La Maison Forestiers – (the Foresters House) in Ors France where Wilfred Owen spent his last few days before a 5 week residency beginning on the 11th of November at the Trafalgar Studios in the West End. The same year Feelgood were honoured with a second Lord Mayor's Civic Reception for our dedication to the arts. Alongside this tour we also created an international poetry competition to raise awareness of PTSD. Workshops took place at Catterick Garrison and in schools and community venues at our 18 venues culminating in a special winners award ceremony in 2015. Heaton Park is a special place for Feelgood. We used to tour our summer open-air shows across the country and went to Heaton in 1998 where we performed for 11 yrs. After a gap of 9 years we returned in May 2016 with Whispers of Heaton. We presented two new immersive site-specific commission plays, The Bugler and The Fight to commemorate the Battle of the Somme and the Manchester Pals regiments in Heaton Hall and Park. This announced our return to Heaton, the place we love to call our spiritual home and where we are now the Official Theatre Partner with Manchester City Council. In the summer of 2017 we brought back our open-air promenade productions with A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The park is a unique place with hundreds of stories to tell and we aim to reveal them as we re-ignite a passion for culture in the park. Our long term vision which we announced at a special dinner hosted by our sponsor PZ Cussons on November 14th 2017 is to build a theatre in the park. We are in year two of our vision development which is called ‘Field of Dreams’. We are undertaking a feasibility study in consultation with Manchester City Council in line with their new Manchester Park Strategy. We hope a Feelgood Theatre in the Park will be a cultural space for world class theatre, music, dance and open air activities. Heaton Park is cherished by so many and our aim is that we build a lasting legacy to ensure that theatre can be accessed by everyone.