Community Projects by Isabel Knowland
For many years as a musician working for the Oxford Concert Party I have
been involved in projects in prisons, primary schools, asylum centres and
elderly groups. More recently I have been able to combine my practice both
as an artist and as a musician in these projects.
Waving Hello
This was an Oxford Concert Party cross-arts project that I initiated about
immigration and involved refugee groups, asylum seekers, elderly groups and
primary school children. The mission statement for the project was:
“Migration across the world is a key component of our past, present and
future. It forms the tapestry of human life. People move for a multitude of
reasons ranging from the need to survive to the thirst for adventure.
Together, using images, music and words, we will share our ideas and
experiences to show that there is far more that unites us than we ever
imagined.”
The project involved children making pieces inspired by a visit to the
Ashmolean Museum, writing poetry, playing music and singing songs. The older
participants in the project made hundreds of tiny paper boats which we then
displayed in a vast installation in Bonn Square, Oxford, the grand
culmination of the project.
The Harmony Project
“In a world where division is rife and the very existence of our planet is
under threat, let us join hands and remind ourselves of the healing power of
art and music, the importance of embracing our common humanity, and
protecting the beauty of our fragile world.”
This was another Oxford Concert Party cross-arts project involving schools,
refugee groups, elderly groups and the wider community, focusing on the
environmental issues and our shared humanity. The project included
musicians, storytellers and visual artists.
Kamdenge
Filda, the founder of the refugee group BKLUWO, approached me with a long
cherished idea of building a project around a Ugandan folk tale, ‘Kamdenge’,
with which she had grown up. For her it is an allegory about what it means
to be a refugee. It is a story of courage, determination, friendship, love
and transformation.
In January 2020 Filda came to Kirtlington Primary School and told her own
story and the story of Kamdenge to the children. They were entranced. With
the help of poet Pat Winslow, artist Tony Lloyd, composer Arne Richards and
myself the story became a play.
Photos by Judie Waldmann