Uncle is the Moon
(2003 – 2006)
A project working with asylum seekers in Bradford & an Arts Council England model of outstanding practice for early years. A CD-ROM is available priced at £10 (inc. UK p&p)
“Uncle is the Moon” is a CD of nursery rhymes and folk tales produced by Promenade Promotions. It was commissioned with the support of the Learning Skills Council as a family learning tool.
The CD was created by working with speakers of English as a second language and asylum seekers and recording their pre-school songs and stories in their native tongue. Together, we then roughly translated them. We then took the recordings and rough translations and reworked them into easy English. We then arranged the music, using traditional melodies wherever possible and with appropriate instrumentation. 500 CD’s have subsequently been distributed through Bradford Action for Refugees, BIASAN and ESOL groups.
The response has been unanimously positive and there have been many requests for further work in this area.
Manningham Surestart then commissioned us to produce a project whereby CD could be distributed alongside a live performance and workshop for approximately 10 schools and key organisations.
The project became a 30-45 minute show, using 5 performers for large or small groups of people, depending on the size of the space or hall. The following week, the group then returned and delivered a workshop on the theme of nursery rhymes, storytelling, music-making & puppetry.
The project was cited as “an outstanding example of early years’ practice” by Arts Council Yorkshire.
