A Time-line of 4 Corners Projects
4 Corners Music Network was a collaboration between Ken Patterson & Richard Scott in conjunction with a network of world musicians who worked in educational and community settings providing performances, workshops, INSET and publications. Ken: ‘Richard and I had met each other in the later ’80s as leaders on Dick Addison’s annual Summer Music Schools and decided to work together’. 4 Corners combined Ken’s skills as a trainer and primary teacher with Richard’s understanding of secondary school work and his many contacts with world musicians within Grand Union Orchestra. They worked together and separately on a plethora of projects from 2000 – 2020.
Furthermore they established a visiting team of fine workshop leaders, world musicians and dancers, storytellers, makers and other creatives. Yousuf Ali Khan, Gerry Hunt, Mpho Skeef, Cheng Yu, Rachel Unthank, Claude Deppa, Francina Turon and many more worked in North eastern schools sharing their music and culture in collaboration with 4 Corners.
In the leaner years when arts funding was cut (Creative Partnerships in particular) Ken & Rich worked more independently (Ken taking time to travel) with two major performance and workshop tours: ‘Down the Waggonway’ and ‘SALT!’, which ran for prolonged periods.
Their djembe resource grew to become a double set of 50 Burkinabe and Ghanaian drums which were played by tens of thousands of hands in workshops over fifteen years. Class sets of ukuleles, drum pads, taiko sticks, samba kit and a wide range of unusual world instruments were used extensively. Annual cycles of teacher INSET each culminating in a large schools’ festival sharing event developed over six years in collaboration with The Sage Gateshead. Music advisory services in North Tyneside, South Tyneside, and Northumberland; TheDurham Forge, Easington EAZ, Glendale Trust, and Creative Partnerships all gained a substantial input from our team.
In 2015 they embarked upon a major community project, ‘Under the Fields of Heaton’, in their home patch of Heaton, Newcastle upon Tyne, to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Heaton Colliery Mining disaster. Success with concerts, compositions, films, candle-lit processions and outdoor events led to the forming of Shoe Tree Arts, which continued to celebrate the Heaton area.
The 4 Corners Songspot Website remains as a resource with recordings and books made over the years. Songs, improvisation for young musicians, kwela whistle, early years and much more.
PROJECTS TIMELINE
2000
* Cumbria World Music Conference for KS2/3/& 4 teachers
* Owton Manor College Cluster project, ‘Emerlald Voyage’ (Hartlepool)
* Gateshead Drug Awareness Samba Band, (Gateshead Stadium)
Allerdale Spirit of Jazz Education Project, Keswick
* ‘Chrysalis Steel Pans Project’, Glendale Music Trust (Alnwick Playhouse)
2001
* 4 Corners World Music INSET & Festival with Mpho Skeef {S.Africa} & Yousuf Ali Khan {Bengal} (Dryden Centre Gateshead)
* Early Years Conference, North Tyneside, (Langdale Centre)
* Sunderland Forum for Special Needs Music (Sunderland Education Centre)
* ‘Jazz Building Blocks’ INSET & Festival with Bigfest (New Tyne Theatre)
* Gospel and Carnival Festival, S. Shields (Customs House)
2002
* 4 Corners World Music INSET & Festival with Francina Turon {Catlaunya} and Mary Keith {Eastern European Music} (Eldon Sq Leisure)
* The 4 Corners Djembe resource tours the region for first time
* ‘Carnival Round the World’ Festival (Alnwick Playhouse)
* Hexham Abbey Festival schools project (Hexham Abbey)
* Arts Mark Award Ceremony, workshops & performances (Bowes Museum)
2003
* 4 Corners World Music INSET & Festival with Cheng Yu {China} & Sarah Kekus {Javanese Gamelan} (Eldon Square with The Sage Gateshead)
* Jazz Building Blocks CD and Book Published (The Sage Gateshead)
* ‘Chrysalis Project’ Glendale Music Trust, Wooler (Alnwick Playhouse)
* North Tyneside Schools programme, annual cycle of workshops commences/
* ‘Greet the Day’ book of assembly songs published to celebrate work in Easington Ed. Action Zone schools.
2004
* 4 Corners World Music KS3 INSET & Festival ‘Barcelona Giants’ with Sol de Nit {Catalunya} & Graham Robinson {N.E. giant-maker} (Millennium Square Gateshead and Barcelona, with The Sage Gateshead)
* 4 Corners World Music KS1 & 2 INSET & Festival with Daksha and Nikita Asher {Gujurati Stick Dancing}, Rachel Unthank (Northumbrian Clog), (Gateshead Leisure Centre with The Sage Gateshead)
* ‘Small World Big Dream’ INSET & Festival (The Forge Durham)
* ‘Hands and Feet’ project in Seaham and Sunderland with Rachel Unthank, Emma Hardy & Fiona Taylor (C. Partnerships Durham)
2005
* 4 Corners World Music KS1 & 2 INSET & Festival ‘Dragons, Giants & Bigheads’ with Virginnia Kennedy {Dance}, Francina Turon {Catalunya} & Graham Robinson, {Giant maker} (The Sage Gateshead)
* ‘Beat the World Drum’ KS3 INSET with Riadd Abed –Ali Abbas {Iraq}, Dan Fox {BoomDang}, Richard Latham {W African djembe}& Francina Turon {Catalan carnival}, Laura Thirkell {Clog} (at Sage Gateshead)
2006
* West Jesmond Primary Summer Carnival Project
* West Jesmond Primary Christmas Show: Baboushka
* Corbridge 1st School Baboushka Project with Yousuf Ali Khan (Creative Partnerships Northumberland)
2007
* 4 Corners World Music KS1 & 2 INSET & Festival ‘Pictures at a World Exhibition’ with Virginnia Kennedy {Dance} and The Sage Gateshead Apprentice team (The Sage Gateshead)
* West Jesmond Primary Mummers Christmas Celebration
* Jazz Attack Improvisation INSET and schools workshops (Northumberland Creative Partnerships and Northumberland Music Service)
*’Le Voyage de Caramel’ composition and book at Redesdale Primary, North Tyneside twinned with schools in Epinay sur Seine
* Tales for the Turning Year Spring and Winter: Storytelling show tours with Chris Bostock
2008
* Tales for the Turning Year Summer and Autumn: Storytelling show tours with Chris Bostock (N.E. and Cumbria)
2009
* Durham COL3 conference (St James Park, Newcastle)
* Continuing work in North Tyneside Schools authority
* Ken on sabbatical year around the world
2010
*’Doon the Waggonway’ Takles for the Turning Year storytelling show: Village Touring and Schools performances with Ken, Rich and Chris Bostock.
* Barcelona 4 Corners Music Festival hosted by Francina Turon, with Dan Fox, Boomdang, Rachel Unthank, Emma Hardy and Fiona Thompson in collaboration with The sage Gateshead.
* Farne Primary School Maths and Music Project, Creative Partnerships.
*Bedlington Whitley Memorial animation, stories and songwriting project (Creative Partnerships) with Ken, Rich and Chris Bostock
2011
*Haydon Bridge Primary John Martin composing project with with pictures project. Ken and Chris Bostock.
2012
Newton Aycliffe ‘Cutting Loose Festival’ workshops nd performances with schools bands and local community Bands
*SALT! storytelling show, with Ken’s salt art projections, Rich’s songs and Chris Bostock’s stories.
2013
*SALT! continues touring
2014
Snow Bear show Ken and Chris Bostock
2015
Snow Bear retours
Under the Fields of Heaton. Tour of Heaton schools with song programme, The Heaton Main Suite at Ouseburn Festival, North Stage Concert, artists in residence, exhibition of schools work
2016
Under the Fields of Heaton: commemoration of men being found. Lantern Processions in Ouseburn, programme of concerts at Mining Institute etc.
2017
Singing Wind Show with Chris Bostock, Janet Longbottom and Willy Houwen
2018
HEATON! show with Shoe Tree Arts and People’s Theatre. Ken and Richard write new songs: ‘My Cremona Toffee Girl‘, ‘Turbinia’, ‘HEATON!’.
Snow Bear tours again with Janet Longbottom added to cast
2019
National Energy Action charity commissioned three projects for 4 Corners in a ‘Full of Energy’ year of activity and concerts. A project about insulation and buildings for primary children ‘Hey Piggy Piggy‘ with Theatre sans Frontieres, ‘Laggin’ Behind’ with AMBER FILMS.
Starlight with Chris Bostock
2020 4 Corners resources available on-line but closes as an active organisation.
Ken Patterson 