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Song Seeking – Choral Singers from Six Direct Provision Centres Prepare for National Concert Hall Celebration

Representing six Direct Provision centres, six groups have come together as a part of the Song Seeking Project and will be celebrating their work on Sunday, June 9, in the National Concert Hall.

Song Seeking – Choral Singers from Six Direct Provision Centres Prepare for National Concert Hall Celebration

Six groups, representing six Direct Provision centres, that have come together as a part of the Song Seeking Project, will be hosting a celebration of their work on Sunday, June 9, in the National Concert Hall. Funded by Creative Ireland under the National Creativity Fund, intergenerational choirs are currently working with expert choral facilitators and are just one part of a cross-agency collaboration between Mary Immaculate College (MIC), Sing Ireland (SI) and the Irish Refugee Council (IRC).

Dr Ailbhe Kenny, Lecturer in Music Education at Mary Immaculate College, UL and Project Lead, said, “‘Song Seeking’ is a group singing project within Direct Provision Centres in Cork, Clare, Dublin, Kildare, Laois and Monaghan. In addition to the group singing workshops there will be a new choral commission written by Dr Sean Doherty through participatory workshops with the men, women and children involved, and moments of community integration through ‘SingIn’ days with local choirs. All this work and sharing of a song will culminate with an interactive singing event on June 9 in the National Concert Hall.”


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Rosemary Kunene, a Singer from the Portlaoise group said, “I enjoy the choir practice although am not a good singer. It is a great opportunity for residents to share a wonderful moment.”

To quote Simon Taylor, CEO of the National Concert Hall: “Singing is the most universal form of music-making, an individual and communal self-expression that transcends borders, nationality, race and creed. The National Concert Hall is delighted to be a partner in this project that celebrates – through music and singing – our shared common humanity.”

The National Concert Hall is a national cultural institution and the designated home of music in Ireland, hosting over 1,000 events each year. The NCH mission is to foster and celebrate the appreciation, knowledge, enjoyment and pure love of music as an integral part of Irish life.

Tania Banotti, Director of Creative Ireland Programme, said, “The vision of the Creative Ireland Programme is a society where everyone has the opportunity to realise their full creative potential, and where participation in cultural and creative opportunity promotes the wellbeing not only of the individual, but also the community and nation at large.  One of our core values is that ‘the arts belong to everyone’ and this project targets one of the most marginalised groups within Irish society – our asylum seekers – giving voice to their unique experiences.  The project – in particular, the ‘SingIn’ and ‘Big Sing’ events – provides a significant opportunity not only for participants’ personal, creative development, but also to promote integration and inclusion within our communities.”

Dr Ailbhe Kenny concluded, “Research throughout the process and from multiple perspectives is integral to the project. There are many stories to tell within the project and much learning to be gained. There are the choral facilitators who are building capacity and skills to work in diverse contexts, a composer who will make music with people currently living Direct Provision to inform a new choral commission, and of course central to this are the Singers themselves – adults, children and young people – all living in temporary, communal ‘limbo’, finding commonality across nationalities, race and religion through song.”

This project breaks new ground in Ireland with regards to its intergenerational, creative and integration focus. Furthermore, ‘Song Seeking’ brings together both practice and research to inform future directions and aid our current understandings of asylum seekers’ cultural and creative needs.

Tickets are €5 and can be bought here.

Free entry for those in the asylum process.

Prepare for a fun day of song and celebration!  

For more information on the Irish Refugee Council, go here.

For more stories on the Irish Refugee Council, go here.

For more information on Sing Ireland, go here.

For more stories on Sing Ireland, go here.

For more information on Mary Immaculate College, go here.

For more stories on Mary Immaculate College, go here.

Richard is a presenter, producer, songwriter and actor. He was named the Limerick Person of the Year (2011) and won an online award at the Metro Éireann Media and Multicultural Awards (2011) for promoting multi-culturalism online. Richard says that the ilovelimerick.com concept is very much a community driven project that aims to document life in Limerick. So, that in 20 years time people can look back and remember the events that were making the headlines.