Who are Shaping Voices?



Mission Statement
Constitution
Elections of Officers and Members
Biographies
:
   Jane Metcalfe
   Clare Whistler
   Rachel Lewis

 

Mission Statement
Shaping Voices encourages participation by individuals and groups through performance using, writing, singing, movement, drama and Creative Reminiscence. Our work is particularly beneficial to those unused to this area of artistic expression, or those who are considered, or consider themselves, marginalised.

Shaping Voices work promotes shared experiences between groups of individuals thereby enabling a greater mutual respect and understanding between them, we examine and improve quality of life issues through community and individual involvement.
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Shaping Voices Constitution

Shaping Voices, adopts the following as the groups aims and objectives:

To be a not for profit organisation.

To encourage participation by individuals or groups through performance, or creative writing, particularly those unused to this area of artistic expression, or those who are considered, or consider themselves, marginalised.

To perform to, and with, individuals and groups regardless of race, age, gender, or disability.

To provide individuals, when possible, with workshop opportunities that are either free or at low cost.

To promote shared experiences between groups of individuals thereby enabling a greater mutual respect and understanding between them.

To examine and improve quality of life issues through community and individual involvement.

The organisation will achieve these objectives by;

To work with performances groups often considered being in conflict or marginalised, i.e., the elderly, youth, or those with mental health issues.

Actively encouraging participation by those in society who are considered, or consider they to be, outside of the usual routes of artistic expression by offering workshops or performances within their community or environment, at low cost or free.

Developing links and partnerships with a variety of agencies such as Social Services, Age Concern, educational establishments, ethnic minority groups, and other similar bodies.

Promoting the use of village halls or church halls and encourage local communities to ‘own and explore’ their environment and to appreciate its individuality and uniqueness.

Aiming target audiences and participants from areas known to have high levels of socio-economic issues.
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Elections of Officers and Members

Officers will be reviewed annually and two individuals at all times will be required as joint signatories on the bank account.

It is agreed that the group be continually open to new members, both as performers and to provide an opportunity for new members on the steering committee. This is to be done as and when requested and requires agreement by all those currently serving on the committee. Annual re-election will occur on the 1st August each year.

All income and assets of the organisation can be used only for the furtherance of the organisation's objects and that no part of its income or property shall be paid or transferred directly or indirectly by way of bonus or other distribution to the members of the organisation.

Should the organisation cease to exist for whatever reason and after the settling of all outstanding debts and liabilities no assets or property shall be paid or distributed amongst the members but shall be given to some other charitable organisations having similar objects as determined by the Committee.

This constitution has been formally adopted by Shaping Voices its committee and the membership and has been recorded in an official minute. 
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Jane Metcalfe

Jane Metcalfe trained as a singer at The Royal College of Music and in Geneva after which she had an extensive career as an opera singer. In the 1970’s he played principal roles with the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company, and recorded four of the Gilbert & Sullivan Operas for Decca. She has also sung with, among others, English National Opera, Opera Factory-Zurich, The English Bach Festival, Scottish Opera and Glyndebourne Opera, and has appeared as a recitalist on The South Bank and in the Wigmore Hall. Jane toured for a number of years with her quartet Studs and Bustles, guesting with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic. She teaches voice on the Music Therapy Course at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. She runs voice workshops for singers/performers of all ages and stages and has worked with groups of people affected by cancer, using voice as a means to freer self-expression. Jane has been engaged on projects for Glyndebourne Education, including the Blantyre House Prison project. She has made contributions as both writer and performer in experimental works for DanceArt Company - San Francisco and Sussex, for True North and has collaborated on a number of ventures with composer Jonathan Dove. She has worked for many years with Clare Whistler, co-devising and performing in numerous experimental projects - latterly under the banner of their own combined arts company - Shaping Voices. Jane wrote and directed Second Thoughts, a series of 5 linked monologues which were performed in Hastings and rural East Sussex. She runs a singing group for people with Parkinson’s called The ParkinSongsters and is a member of singing duo, A Couple of Old Cartes, performing Gilbert & Sullivan. Jane has an MA in Creative Writing: Arts and Education, Sussex University.
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Clare Whistler

Clare was trained and performed as a professional dancer and choreographer for 20 years mainly in North America; Toronto, New York and 12 years in San Francisco. Clare worked for Glyndebourne Opera from1996 in education and on the main stage. She directed Glyndebourne Youth Opera 4. She has been Assistant Director for Peter Sellars on Idomeneo and Theodora for Glyndebourne and she helped revive Theodora for Opera Du Rhin. She has also worked with him on Tristan (Paris, Toronto) and La Passione de Simone (Vienna, Los Angelesa and UK) She has also worked for the education departments of Royal Opera House, ENO Baylis (The Early Earth Operas at the Coliseum) and Opera North, as well as working for Creative Partnerships East London. She has been involved in many arts projects with people of all ages, abilities, situations and places including the Imperial War Museum, Handel House, an abandoned bus shelter in Wick, the British Museum and Wormwood Scrubs. She is a visiting artist for Queen Mary's University of London and University of Brighton. She has been awarded a Leverhulme Fellowship at Queen Mary. She has an MA in Performance and Visual practice.

Clare directed On Spitalfields, a community piece for 200 composed by Jonathan Dove for Spitalfields Festival (RPS Education Winner for 2005), and a piece for 400 children and orchestra for the opening of the Rem Koolhus Casa Da Music in Portugal, as well as touring the Glyndebourne Youth Opera to YO! the International Youth Opera Festival in Utrecht, Holland. Clare has been Assistant Director for Peter Sellars on Tristan at the Paris Opera, Assistant Director for Richard Jones on Flight at Glyndebourne and Movement Director for Olivia Fuchs at Holland Park Opera, Denmark and in Buenos Aires. Clare has ongoing collaborations with a variety of artists: Jonathan Dove [composer], Kate Adams and Victoria Rance [visual artists], Ali Campbell [theatre practitioner], Joanna Parker [violinist] and Jane Buckler [writer].
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Rachel Lewis

Rachel has a professional background of economics and environmental management. She is a trained auditor and has worked extensively in both private and public sectors. She has worked for several Local Authorities and clients such as The Bank of Scotland, Tesco, British Airways, Royal Mail, Haven Leisure, and the NHS. She works with Shaping Voices as Project Manager, administrator and fundraiser.


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