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At the beginning of November 2011, Children from St Patrick’s Catholic Primary School in Stafford worked with a creative team from Manchester Camerata to create new music inspired by their views of living in Stafford

Taking inspiration from Camerata’s 2011/12 season theme of Portraits and as part of the Portraits of Place project, young people from St Patrick’s Catholic Primary School worked with composer Andy Smith, Camerata musicians Trumpeter Helen Quayle and Bassoonist Sarah Nixon, and VJ artist Dave Hulston to create a portrait of Stafford in music, a photographic collage and live visual image mixing.

The result was an amazing audio visual snapshot of the community they live in. The children presented their work as part of a pre concert show at the Stafford Gatehouse at the beginning of November.

The children created their own lyrics, composed their own music and took their own photographs as well as making their own booklets reflecting their time on the project. The booklets asked the children to think about their memories and ambitions for the future, and map out familiar places to them in Stafford.

The photographic collage will stand alongside Portraits from other areas to create a large  geographic photographic collage, and form part of a pre-concert exhibition piece at The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester later in the season.

“When can we do it again?!!!” – Emily Compton, Music Co-ordinator

“We have all gained so much from it” - Emily Compton, Music Co-ordinator

“The Camerata team were amazing and so hard working” - Emily Compton, Music Co-ordinator

Find out more about Manchester Camerata's Learning projects

Manchester Camerata in Stafford