Music to make the city Smile
Mowbray Park was alive with the sound of music as a concert which has fostered a range of local talent made its annual return.
Sunderland Music Workshops’ Smile concert has featured members of established Wearside names such as The Futureheads, Field Music and The Lake Poets, as well as up-and-coming group Fire Lady Luck,
Dozens of people turned out to enjoy this year’s show, which was held as usual in the bandstand in Mowbray Park.
Saturday’s line-up featured a wide range of musical styles, something organiser Dave Murray is keen to encourage.
For Dave, founder and coordinator of Sunderland Music Workshops,the event is about helping young people to have the courage to stand up in front of a crowd and show what they can do.
“It is about young people having the chance to perform to their local community,” he said.
“We get a lot of mums and dads, aunts and uncles, but anyone who is jut walking through the park is welcome to sit down and listen.
“Some of them will sign up and their aim is to be on that bandstand this time next year
“We have got young people from Sunderland singing country,singing jazz, who would otherwise just be sitting at home singing to themselves.
“Taking part in the workshops, coming along and performing today builds their confidence, it builds their self-esteem.
“And it’s not just about making music - it is about meeting new people.”
The Smile concert is organised in association with Sunderland Museums.
Public engagement and learning officer Jennie Lambert said the concert was a major part of the city’s programme of activities for the school summer holidays.
“We have a family programme running through the holidays and this is part of our Festival of fun,” she said,
“Smile is an annual event which we have been staging since the park reopened in 2000.
“The young people decide the line-up and what they want to perform and we provide the support and infrastructure needed for the event to happen.”
Among those making the most of the sunshine was Rebecca Ball, director of Sunderland’s bid to be named UK City of Culture 2021.
Smile was exactly the kind of event the bid was keen to promote she said, with local people involved in the arts at a community level.
“This sort of thing is absolutely at the heart of what the bid is about,” she said.
“It is encouraging more young people to get involved in songwriting and performing and people coming out to support them and encourage them to keep going.
“The Sunderland Music Workshops have produced some amazing names.”