Friday, 1 December 2017
12pm – 2pm @ Redfern Community Centre
The Community Restorative Centre is very excited to welcome you to the launch of Songbirds: Ballads Behind Bars. This is a groundbreaking project which facilitates songwriting workshops in NSW prisons, as well as community music workshops for people on release from prison.
This community event will feature live music from the Songbirds prison songwriting workshop, Murray Cook, Adam Blacksmith, and special guests. Come down to hear some wonderful music and find out more about the Songbirds program. Everyone is welcome, and refreshments will also be served.
You can follow details about the event and register your interest at the Songbirds event Facebook page.
Songbirds is based on successful overseas programs which import popular contemporary songwriters and performers into prisons in order to share their skills and mentor prisoners. Participants are then offered the opportunity, on release, to continue to connect with artists and musicians in the community, as well as being guided into a wide variety of free courses and continuing studies.
Murray Cook, author and coordinator of the program, is a musician, songwriter and performer who has, over 40 years, toured internationally with bands such as Midnight Oil, Mental as Anything, Warumpi Band, Mixed Relations, and Leah Purcell. He has also taught music at Long Bay Correctional Centre for 21 years.
The Songbirds program launch is only possible with the partnership of the Redfern Community Centre, with many thanks to City of Sydney and Thyne Reid Foundation.
