Our Sing and Sign Choir journey began when several members of our staff were invited to attend a four-day keyword signing course, provided by the NHS and led by Sharon. One of our colleagues, Lisa, described the course as enlightening, fun, and highly informative.
Lisa began using her new skills to communicate with some of the people we support, many of whom have had their signing abilities for several years. Lisa shared how rewarding it was to see their joy and excitement when they could engage in meaningful interaction through keyword signing with her and her colleagues.
Inspired by the positive response, Lisa proposed the idea of starting a signing group with her colleagues and the people we support here at @ThePark. After just a couple of sessions, a new and exciting concept began to take shape. Lisa approached our management team with the idea of forming a Sing and Sign Choir—a group that would combine music and keyword signing. The team loved the idea and offered their full support.
To bring the vision to life, Lisa enlisted the help of our Intensive Interaction and Activities Coordinator, Penny. Together, Lisa and Penny collaborated with Sharon to choose a selection of songs suitable for signing, including Country Roads and Red Light. The sessions were a resounding success, with both colleagues and the people we support thoroughly enjoying the experience.
The @ThePark Choir was invited to perform at the St. Piran’s Day celebrations in Launceston, thanks to an invitation from members of the town council. The choir thoroughly enjoyed the experience, and their performance was met with warm smiles and enthusiastic applause from the audience.
Following this success, the choir received another exciting invitation, this time to perform at Launceston’s Christmas town light switch-on event. Excitement and nerves were running high, but as soon as the choir began singing and signing, their confidence grew, and the joy of the performance took over. As if from nowhere, the town square filled with people, watching, smiling, and clapping along. It was a magical moment that highlighted not only the power of music and signing but also the spirit of community and inclusion.
The Choir has continued to grow from strength to strength, performing at a variety of events, often being told they were the highlight of the day. The weekly Sing and Sign practices, held every Thursday at 2 pm at @ThePark, have become a cherished part of the week for everyone involved.
The choir is also open to anyone who would like to come along and join in. For more information, feel free to give us a call on 01566-880360 or send us a message at www.bowdenderra.co.uk
