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A Week with Nubya Garcia

In March 2023 15 Northern artists improvised new sounds, with guidance from critically acclaimed saxophonist and composer Nubya Garcia.

Nubya Garcia and the residency participants posing for a group photo.
Date
26 September 2023
Category
Past Projects

Across five days in Blueprint Studios the group explored their creative practice, challenging their writing skills and using different instrumentation sets. The result? Well, take a look…

Made up of all kinds of genres, styles and backgrounds, the group take inspiration from neo-soul, hip-hop, Afro-Latin percussion, Electronica and Gospel to name just a few. Find out more.

So how did people find the residency?

Cellist and composer Hoda said “The environment that we all created made me feel more confident in my validity as a musician and artist, something I feel I still carry within myself six months on.”

Since March violinist Sam and flautist Caroline have joined Mother Sugar’s band and regularly play together. “The three of us have developed a beautiful friendship supporting each other as women in the music industry”, says Caroline.

Trumpet player Fee told us “There was no competition, no negativity, it was a purely positive space which I didn’t think was possible.”

Drummer Francesca, "having always played at the back in other people’s projects for years", is now working on her first ‘solo’ EP. She reflects that “The residency reminded me of what is most important in music-making, bringing spontaneity, vulnerability, passion, creativity and meaningful connection into one beautiful space.”

Couldn't have put it better ourselves!

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  • Nubya Garcia and the residency participants in a group huddle.

  • Trees.R.Good sat playing a banjo and smiling.

  • Sonia Killman and Hoda Jahanpour rehearsing in Blueprint Studios. Hoda holds a cello, while Sonia has a trumpet strapped to her.

  • Hannabiell Sanders laughing in a music studio. Fee behind her is playing a trumpet.

  • Mother Sugar sat amidst drums, keyboards and microphone stands speaking into a microphone.

  • Mara Cruz playing bass.

  • Nubya Garcia smiling and writing group intentions on a board.

  • Sam Brown and Yilis del Carmen Suriel in the studio playing violin and Djembe respectively.

  • Nubya Garcia and the residency participants smiling and applauding one another in a group.

Credits

A huge thanks and congratulations to the artists:
Caroline Webb, Fee, Francesca Knowles, Hannabiell Sanders, Hoda Jahanpour, Jemma Freese, Karis Jade, Mara Cruz, MARF, Mother Sugar, Sam Brown, Sonia Killmann, Trees.R.Good, Yeguachita and Yilis del Carmen Suriel.

Special thanks to:
Nubya Garcia, Holly Phelps, Ellis Lewin-Turner, Speth Hughes, Marina Garvey Birch and Blueprint Studios.

Photos by Ingrid Turner. 

Video by TripleDotMakers.

Supported by Arts Council England, Youth Music, Manchester City Council, GMCA, Foyle Foundation Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, The Granada Foundation and PRS Foundation as a Talent Development Partner (supported by PPL).

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