Kath Page: Tapestry Festival will help foster inclusivity, cultural understanding and emotional connection across Southampton’s communities

I have lived and worked in Southampton since 2008. I’ve always been involved in music – I learnt to play the piano at a very young age – and I decided to train as a music teacher after completing a music degree at Exeter University

I worked in many schools across Southampton and Hampshire, winning Teacher of the Year in 2002 before stepping out of the classroom and into advisory roles. I now lead Southampton and Isle of Wight Music (SIOW), and I’m an associate lecturer in Music Education at Winchester University.

My job is dynamic and multifaceted, overseeing the planning, delivery and development of music education services for children and young people. This involves building relationships with schools, arts organisations and the community to expand access to music, as well as setting and delivering the hub’s vision and long-term goals in line with national education plans.

Music making helps children in so many ways, fostering their cognitive, social-emotional and physical development. It can also boost their creativity, language skills and motor skills, as well as promoting emotional expression and a sense of belonging. 

SIOW Music is a member of the South Coast Music Partnership, which is the Music Education Hub for Bournemouth, Christchurch and Pool, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton. We are committed to delivering life-changing music experiences that enrich the life, health and wellbeing of our children and communities. We do this through an inspiring and inclusive programme of music making that reflects our area’s cultural diversity.

A great example of our work is a project to showcase the talent of local children and young people at the new Tapestry Festival at Westquay on 19^th and 20^th July, and I’m really excited to be a part of this.

Three city-centre schools took part in vocal workshops to learn a set of songs about Southampton and the areas that Jane Austen would have lived in and frequented. One of the songs, about the many languages and cultures in Southampton, aligns particularly well with the world music focus of Tapestry.

The next phase of the project is a filming day for the participating schools with students from Solent University, who will create a video of the performances to share on screens at Tapestry in between acts, performances and workshops.

Performance can feel a bit daunting, but it’s so important because it helps young people grow – not just as musicians but as confident, expressive and connected individuals. Engaging in performance allows young individuals to express themselves creatively and authentically and this form of self-expression can be really empowering.

Tapestry is such an exciting event. As Event Partner, SIOW Music was involved from the start, helping Southampton Forward put the programme together and recommending local artists via our hub to perform and to run workshops at the festival.

Tapestry is free and open to everyone and it’s completely family friendly. We’re so lucky to have this new event in the heart of the city, attracting first-class musicians from across the UK as well as local acts. I also think it’s vital festivals like Tapestry are bringing a range of music to a wider audience, helping to foster inclusivity, cultural understanding and emotional connection across communities.

We have several wonderful projects coming up in addition to Tapestry, including London Sinfonietta workshops with secondary schools’ ensembles and concert performances for Key Stage 3 students at Turner Sims as well as English National Opera’s ‘Finish This’ end of year composition workshops and performances at Redbridge Community School. Southampton Youth Orchestra’s 60^th anniversary concert on Saturday 12^th July at 02 Guildhall Southampton also promises to be a great night.

I’m also really looking forward to the Stage Door Rising Stars community stage performances at University of Southampton and Turner Sims Family Day on 29^th June and the Mela Festival Stage on 13^th July. Students who have been taking part in our popular open mic night sessions across the year will be sharing their talents with a wider audience by performing at these community events

To find out more about our music groups across the region, or to apply for music lessons, find event and concert details, or understand more about how we support schools to deliver the national plan for music education, visit www.siowmusic.org.