Introduction

Music

Ignatius Inspires featured a creative learning project in composition led by Juwon Ogungbe in four Haringey schools. These are as follows:

• Woodside High School
• Crowland Primary School
• Harris Academy, Phillip Lane
• Earlsmead Primary School

These groups drew inspiration from some of the stimuli and devices for composing music that are apparent in Ignatius Sancho’s creative output. The participants created small group pieces and performed a full ensemble piece composed by Juwon Ogungbe. All the school groups were recruited to take part in the process by Haringey Music Service. These pieces of music were performed in the showcase performances at Bernie Grant Arts Centre on the 16th and 17th of November 2017.

• Haringey Young Musicians
A group of skilled young instrumentalists played dances composed by Sancho, in new arrangements by Juwon Ogungbe, to accompany the dance participants in the project’s showcase performances. This group was recruited under the auspices of Haringey Music Service.

• Song Recitals
Juwon Ogungbe performed a song recital programme in each showcase event, accompanied by Waiyin Lee on piano. The recital programmes featured songs by Sancho, John Gay (arranged by Benjamin Britten) and selected items from Ogungbe’s own song cycle – After Hours in the African Gallery – in which each song is inspired by an artefact that can be found in the British Museum’s African Gallery.

Dance

Caroline Muraldo lead dance workshops and choreographed pieces to Sancho’s dance music (in new arrangements by Juwon Ogungbe) that featured young participants from the following schools:
• Park View
• Earlsmead Primary School
The dancers were accompanied by Haringey Young Musicians – a group of skilled young instrumentalists, recruited by Haringey Music Service.

Spoken Word

Renowned performance poet Nana Asaase (based in Accra, Ghana), contributed creative responses to several letters written by Ignatius Sancho, and some other related pieces of literary and historical content. Asaase’s new creations are featured on the Afrocentric Creatives website and were also part of the showcase performances at Bernie Grant Arts Centre.