Our Initiatives & Projects
Music Education
Community Projects
Discover our initiatives aimed at supporting and enriching the music community. Highlights include the Musicians ‘MOT’ Retreat, offering sound engineering workshops, branding clarity sessions, restorative treatments, consultations, and professional photography to help musicians enhance their craft and career. The Clara Vale Ceilidh Band also plays a vital role, performing to raise funds for both Semibreve CIC and the local village hall, promoting a sense of community and cultural heritage.
Events
Join the mailing list below to stay informed about our exciting upcoming events, retreats, and activities designed to engage and inspire. Our Newcastle Piano Festival not only showcases talent but also includes a robust community program and mentorship opportunities. Join us at various events, such as the Clara Vale Ceilidh Band performances, which blend fundraising with lively, traditional music. Our events are crafted to provide unique experiences that support both musicians and the wider community.
Newcastle Piano Festival
Save the date, 29th March - 1st April, and join our mailing list below for news, early bird tickets and exclusive offers.
Newcastle Piano Festival is an innovative music festival created to inspire and empower the community of Newcastle. The festival launched in 2023 from a need to break away from the standard concert hall scene and make classical music accessible to people from all walks of life. There is an abundance of research showing the importance of classical music in enriching quality of life, boosting overall mental wellbeing, reducing stress, improving memory and even improving children’s performance in school.
In 2023, our focus was empowering female artists and we boasted a fantastic line up of female pianists, composers, writers and actors. Our events included a Masterclass with world famous pianist Sarah Beth Briggs where she gave a workshop to young pianists followed by a solo recital, ‘Meet the Piano’; an open social event inviting people of all ages and abilities to come and try a Grand Piano, Piano Yoga and an eight handed festival finale of rarely performed repertoire especially in this region. The festival was a huge success and proved to have intergenerational social benefit in the community.
Our vision for Newcastle Piano Festival 2025 is to focus on making music accessible to all under 25. This will include a mentorship programme giving a selection of young aspiring pianists the opportunity to receive coaching in how to survive as a freelance classical musician.
'I Love Piano' Educational Outreach Programme
Newcastle Piano Festival's Community Programme launches 'I Love Piano' in March 2025 - a groundbreaking educational outreach programme following in the footsteps of Sistema and InHarmony, which includes a school concert tour across deprived areas of the North East culminating in a performance event for their families and friends. Schools will receive an 'I Love Piano' resource pack which includes instructional videos, music and play-along tracks so that everyone can learn a part of the piece which will be played at the family fun event as a never-ending loop where pupils line up for their turn to play, all accompanied by professional musicians, even Grandma can have a go! Early musical experiences like this can help shape a child's journey in music and future outcomes.
Clara Vale Ceilidh Band
Led by Annie Ball, Clara Vale Ceilidh Band is an opportunity for amateur musicians to play music together and continue the tradition of ceilidh dancing, beneficial for community cohesion, health and well-being. Semibreve organise ceilidhs for the local community, fundraising for the local village Hall in Clara Vale, as well as providing low cost ceilidhs for weddings and other private events in Clara Vale Village Hall. Members often generously donate their fee to Semibreve cic.
Musicians 'MOT' Retreat
With a generous grant from the Arts Council, Semibreve is launching what we hope will be the first of many weekend retreats for female, neurodivergent musicians. Holistic treatments, guided meditation, restorative movement, nourishing meals, branding consultations, DIY recording consultations and photography consultations including some professional images to take away. Facilitators include Sarah Raad, Gareth Davies-Jones, Ocean Zen cic, Kit Haigh and Samantha Coe. Our aim is to nurture, provide a safe space for growth, reflection and creativity, a transformational experience.
Howay the Lasses Partnership
Semibreve’s partnership with the band and project “Howay the Lasses” benefits all involved by fostering collaboration and mutual support. This alliance not only enhances the visibility and reach of both Semibreve and HTL but also enriches the musical community by promoting cultural heritage and empowering female stories. Howay the Lasses is a hugely successful album, Internationally toured show and was recently featured on live TV on BBC's Sunday Morning Breakfast show as well as multiple radio and podcast interviews. Semibreve recently supported a successful funding application for a community event and filming of some of their songs in a heritage building.
Find out more at www.howaythelasses.com