We are thrilled that our pioneering health and arts initiative, Breath Cycle, has been shortlisted for The Classical: NEXT innovation Award.
This award ‘highlights ground breaking projects that are shaping the future of classical music worldwide’ and celebrates ‘individuals and initiatives that drive progress through bold, yet thoughtful and effective, experimentation in ideas, planning, and action.’
Breath Cycle has been nominated alongside Prison Yard Festival (Hongkong), Operomanija (Lithuania), Sonora Music (Poland), No Limits Festival (Hongkong),Clásica No Convencional (Chile), Black Orchestral Network (United States), Festival Divertimento (Mexico), Opera Aperta (Ukraine) and The Augmented Orchestra (United States). The final recipients are determined through an online vote by Classical: NEXT delegates.
Each year, three recipients are honoured at the awards ceremony, which takes place this May in Berlin.
Breath Cycle was originally developed in 2013 by us and Glasgow’s Gartnavel General Hospital West of Scotland Adult Cystic Fibrosis Unit, to explore whether building lung capacity and developing breath control as part of a daily vocal routine could prove beneficial to the physical and mental health and wellbeing of patients. We repurposed the project during lockdown to offer support to people struggling with the debilitating effects of Long COVID, and since Autumn 2021, nearly 500 people from Scotland and across the world have taken part in the Breath Cycle sessions mentored by our artists, and over 3000 individuals have accessed the online resources freely available from our website to use at home at their own convenience.
We recently brought Breath Cycle to the stage with two special evenings of live performances in Greenock and Glasgow, showcasing the transformative powers of daily practice in breath control and vocal training for individuals suffering from a range of lung conditions, as well as supporting them to share their lived experience of coping with often life limiting lung conditions, through a series of song writing workshops. Award-winning composer Gareth Williams and writer Martin O'Connor led an exceptional ensemble featuring Admiral Fallow's Louis Abbott, operatic tenor David Douglas, and actor-songwriter Frances Thorburn, accompanied by violin, cello, and piano who performed their renditions of a selection of the songs that have been created during the workshops over the past three years.
Read more about the award here.
You can find out more about the brilliant work of Breath Cycle here.