Animate Local

Apply for May 2024

Taking place during school holidays, Animate Orchestra local courses are usually of 1 to 3 days duration and are open to all, regardless of ability or musical experience. Trinity Laban delivers these projects in collaboration with local borough music hubs, with a particular focus on south London as part of the South Riverside Music Partnership.

Upcoming Project: Animate Lewisham, 28-29 May 2024, The Fellowship, SE6 3BT

This project is a unique opportunity to collaborate with spoken word artists – over two days, you will create and perform an exciting new piece of music, bringing stories from the local community to life. This piece will eventually form part of an online gallery exploring 100 years of the nearby Downham Estate, and the many changes that have taken place.

Led by specialist tutors and student musicians from Trinity Laban and Lewisham Music, Animate Lewisham is open to young musicians aged 9-14 who play any instrument, or are into music technology. Animate projects are affordable, fun, inspiring and sociable. Apply Here

Who are Animate local projects for?

Anyone who plays an instrument including music technology
Priority will be given to more experienced young musicians aged 9 – 14, who are grade 3 standard upwards (or equivalent)
Young people from Lambeth, Lewisham, Greenwich and Southwark are particularly encouraged to apply, especially those who have taken part in past Animate projects.

To join our mailing list for future projects, please contact: animate@trinitylaban.ac.uk

Animate Lewisham 2023

In February half-term 2023, over 40 like-minded young musicians aged 9 – 14 worked together for 2 days to devise their own music and challenge themselves creatively. Led by specialist tutors from Trinity Laban and Lewisham Music, the project ended in an informal performance sharing for family and friends at The Fellowship, SE6 3BT.

Animate Lambeth 2022

Clapham Park Centre, SE2 4JW - Spring 2022

Our latest local project, delivered in partnership with Lambeth Music Service, explored the theme of storytelling through music. Over 30 young participants collaborated across 2 days, creating their own story and using different techniques to turn those storylines and characters into music, performed to a live audience at the end of the project.

Artistic Director: Alistair Walker. Music Tutors: Maddy Hamilton, Dave Darch, Daniel Smithson.

Animate Online

28-30 October 2020

For 3 days across the October half term a group of young musicians worked together online with Trinity Laban tutors and students to create and record a new piece of music. The group created their own creatures in the style of Jorge Luis Borges’ Book of Imaginary Beings, and their own instruments inspired by the sounds of the battlefield evoked by Heinrich Biber’s Battalia.

Participants described the project as:

“Exciting, awesome, and entertaining”
“Fun, creative, and interesting”

Artistic Director – Sarah Freestone. Music Tutors: Daniel Kemshell, Phil Veacock & Enoch Mukasa.

Watch Taco-Cat - A Story

Animate Lewisham Next Gen

The Fellowship and Star, SE6 3BT - February 2020

This 3 day project was part of the 2020 Lewisham Live festival, which celebrated the best of music and dance performance from children and young people across Lewisham. Taking inspiration from the historic and newly refurbished venue and in particular its boxing roots, over 45 young musicians created a thrilling new piece which they performed in front of a packed audience!

Artistic Director – Sarah Freestone. Music Tutors: Joe Browne, Dave Darch & Thibault Blanchard. Supported by Animate Artist young mentors.