Creating a new idea, new material, with new artistic partners, and in new locations was the challenging starting point for The Butterfly Lands, the latest Stringcredibles project. Inspired by the themes of migration and diversity, our education string quartet and the saxophonist Nate Holder took a year to create a show serving 21 schools in Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Walsall and Sandwell. In this quest, the project was supported by Services for Education, Wolverhampton Music Service, Sandwell Music Education Hub and Walsall Music Education Hub.
The aims were simple: showcase the richness of diversity, celebrate the various cultures, faiths and people who have come to the West Midlands, and build understanding through the power of music. Music can help us learn in many different ways, and in doing games and rhythms with children, they're absorbing the music and, through this, the message of the positivity in diversity. The project was a response to the Kindness Curriculum (designed by Kaplan and the Kindness Factory) that builds empathy, compassion, gratitude, perspective, trust and self-acceptance among children.
Context and concept
Historically, the West Midlands has been an extremely important part of the UK's economy and culture. The ‘Black Country’ was so-called because of the ironwork and coal industries which produced thick black clouds, prompting people such as William Shenstone and Charles Dickens to refer to it in their writings.
The population of the West Midlands has changed significantly, with people born in many places around the world but calling areas of the West Midlands ‘home’ for over a hundred years. Many of The Butterfly Lands team have strong personal connections to the West Midlands: part of Nate Holder's family moved to Wolverhampton from Hanover, Jamaica, in the 1950s, and other members of the quintet have lived and worked in the region for over 50 years combined. As part of our tour and presentation, children were shown data about migration to the West Midlands, with flags and the reasons why people migrated in the first place.
Next, we introduced the concept: a butterfly flying from island to island, learning about differences in language, faith, food, clothes and music. The butterfly was named by the children in each school, and first appeared as a black and white outline. As we took the children on a journey through the islands, the butterfly gained bright colours and patterns – a metaphor for how enriched our lives become as we learn about the various cultures we interact with every day in the West Midlands. Children left with an understanding that as they travel and learn they become more and more colourful and compassionate. In the words of the poet Casey Bailey, a collaborator on the project:
Stay friendly, stay learning, stay listening / Be yourself so we learn from you. / Right now you might be a caterpillar, / But one day you'll be a butterfly too.
It was important to help children put into context the many different communities around them, and this was shown through data collated specially for the project by experts at the University of Birmingham. This data not only served as a learning opportunity for the children, but for many adults in attendance, some of whom had ancestral connections to Wales, India, China and other countries.
Musical realisation
Children joined in with a series of rhythmic ostinatos that contained some of this rich history. They were accompanied by a beat that helped keep time, which had some of them dancing in their seats!
Courtesy The Stringcredibles
In keeping with the National Curriculum aim of helping pupils ‘appreciate and understand a wide range of high-quality live and recorded music drawn from different traditions’, the styles used in the show were very varied. These ranged from hip hop to classical, and minimalism to bhangra.
This variety not only kept children engaged; it represented the diversity found in the West Midlands and in every single school we visited. The composers and artists who helped with the project – Shruthi Rajasekar, Dot Inc, Bobbie-Jane Gardner, Ryan Linham, Vicky Arlidge, Rachel Lockwood and Simmy Singh, Rosie Brookes and Casey Bailey – were accomplished in many styles, bringing additional levels of authenticity to the show. It was truly a cross-arts endeavour, which used moments of interaction and participation to engage audiences fully.
Amy Thomas, our viola player, described this engagement: ‘Everyone feels music differently, and in Ryan's piece we romp through lots of different styles, from oompah to waltzes and bhangra to samba. This piece gives the children a chance to move and sway to the music as they experience it.’
Identity
One of the highlights of the tour was undoubtedly the shrieks of excitement when children recognised a flag, religious symbol, dish or language of their heritage. The tour was designed to visit priority areas for Arts Council England, and the first week of performances were hosted by Schools of Sanctuary, a group creating a culture of understanding and belonging for those forced to flee. The joy of performing to incredibly diverse audiences was apparent from the start, with whoops of joy at the mention of Jamaica and children clearly waiting in anticipation for the mention of countries from their own heritage. One young participant later recorded: ‘It surprised me that my country came up on the board and how many Bangladesh people live in West Midlands.’
While the show aimed to teach compassion and understanding, it also sought to provide opportunities for where the children could feel seen. Many schools do an incredible job in highlighting cultures and languages spoken, but there is still something special that happens when children are able to share their heritage with people they don't know. One headteacher even remarked that it was a great reminder to all staff how many different languages are spoken by their pupils. Another added: ‘We feel very privileged to have experienced this performance, which not only gave the children an insight into the value of migration but showcased orchestral music.’
Key takeaways
From the tour of The Butterfly Lands, the team learnt the following:
1. Representation
It cannot be underestimated how important it is for children and young people to see themselves represented. While it may seem like displaying or talking about flags or languages should be reserved for geography or citizenship classes, making those links with music gives young people further opportunity to see how culture, music, food, languages and clothing are all connected. Doing this often, or at least regularly, is not exhaustive: young people are constantly learning, comparing and understanding, which means that connections made in Year 2 will gain new meaning in Year 6.
2. Live music
Engaging with children after the show often revealed that some played the violin, cello or viola, for example, or that some had never heard a saxophone played live. The first-hand experience ranged considerably. Live shows such as Butterfly Lands can make an indelible impression on children, and reinforce the difference in experience between watching a video and watching music made live before their very eyes.
3. Fun
As musicians, we enjoy performing, and shows are often punctuated with laughter and smiles as we navigate the hurdles of live performance. The fun we had presenting clearly fostered an environment in which children were allowed to sing, dance and shout out answers. One student told us: ‘We learn, but it's hard to know that we learn.’
4. Strong partnerships
This project wouldn't have been possible without the help and expertise of a number of individuals and organisations. Rebecca Goldsmith, who was key to the success of the project, said: ‘Partnerships with music education hubs across the West Midlands were really key in reaching areas of priority, and this spirit of collaboration has been woven through the whole of the show's development. It has been a collaborative process that has welcomed every voice, and we have confidence that the show has strength and relevance as a result.’ In a sense, just like the butterfly in the show, we can create fuller and richer experiences for young people when we work better together.
