Finding your voice in Flintshire

“I was so nervous to see my family there ready to watch me, but we all had such a good laugh on stage. I was making extra funny sounds on my harmonica and everyone was laughing it was such a buzz and my Mum was smiling and laughing.”

“I love the band, I love my friends, we have such a good laugh, we perform the songs we love, it’s just great, who wouldn’t want to do this?!”

“I feel like I have pushed myself, I have done it because I love being in the band, we are a team.”

With support from the Flintshire Community Endowment Fund, Emerge Community Arts worked with local band Sound Express – made up entirely of musicians with learning disabilities – to write, record, and perform their own music across North Wales.  

Established in 2014, Emerge Community Arts works with young people and adults with learning disabilities and mental health challenges, creating inclusive spaces where people can connect, learn, and express themselves.  

The funding received from the Flintshire Community Endowment Fund also enabled Emerge to train and employ an audio technician to work with Sound Express, someone who had been involved with Emerge and dealing with his own mental health challenges. His new role helped bring the band’s creative process to life, resulting in a brand-new set of songs and multiple live performances. Sound Express played gigs in Wrexham, Holyhead, Anglesey, Mold and Buckley, building confidence with every performance. 

Band members not only developed musically, they grew socially and emotionally, and the impact has been joyful and personal. Participants have travelled independently, stayed overnight for gigs, and faced their anxieties. Meanwhile, the audio technician together with an additional support worker, gained valuable, hands-on experience, helping them move on to successful work opportunities.