News Story
In partnership with the Beacon Club, we brought live music and creative workshops to people with dementia and those facing social isolation.
In June 2024 we launched our Community Connections Hub partnership with Space @ The Broomhouse Hub in Edinburgh. Our multi-year partnership explores opportunities for collaboration and connection. Working in partnership within a residency model provides a deeper two-way understanding, allowing time to mature connections and realise joint ambitions to enrich the local community and the Festival.
We first met members of the Beacon Club when hosting the Philharmonia Virtual Reality Orchestra in Broomhouse as part of the 2024 Edinburgh International Festival.
The Beacon Club is a social group for older people with dementia and those facing social isolation. The staff reflected that the Virtual Reality experience had been a highlight for several members who enjoyed experiencing music in a completely different way. These conversations sparked a collaboration with the Beacon Club to create a residency facilitating moments of dementia friendly music focussed exploration.
I’ve never done anything like that. You have to come backBeacon Club Member
Together with facilitator Lucy Drever we designed an experience for The Beacon Club which encouraged interactivity, immersive listening and conversation.
To bring live music into the space, we collaborated with two musicians: violinist Colm O’Braoin and percussionist Calum Huggan. The musicians brought recognisable instruments such as the violin and drums, but also lesser-known instruments like the bouzouki and vibraphone for the Beacon Club to discover.
The workshops took place across crisp winter days, and we incorporated this into the workshops’ theme, exploring feelings of being cosy and enjoying the change in the seasons. Calum and Colm played Vivaldi’s Winter and as we listened, people reflected on the emotional effect of hearing music played live.
We translated these feelings to create collective poems reflecting the members’ favourite parts of winter. The group joined in the music making, playing hand-chimes and bells to create a soundscape together reminiscent of snow falling. In each session we sang a song together, and took time to enjoy the sound created, celebrating the group as a creative community.
That was wonderful. It brought back memories of when I used to be in a choirBeacon Club Member
Working with the Beacon Club has been a fantastic way to connect with the community of older people in the Broomhouse area, who have generously shared their experiences with us. Creating these moments of music-based interaction has brought vitality and connection to people experiencing dementia and social isolation.
As part of our Community Connections Hub activity in 2025, the Edinburgh International Festival will continue to work with the Beacon Club year-round and connect members to specially tailored activity in August at the 2025 Edinburgh International Festival.
We've seen transformations happen with individuals in each of the sessions, it's been quite remarkable.Beacon Club Staff Member
If you’re out and about in Edinburgh from 17 February–early March, you may spot some of the member of The Beacon Club as our work with them has been documented with Jack Arts Scotland & Festivals Edinburgh, as part of the Festival City Stories project. Find out more.
