00:00:00:00 - 00:00:20:13 Speaker 1 You're listening to the ripple effects here on Echo Wood Radio, where we talk with those people across Midland who are turning moments into movements. I'm Kirk Hastings, and on today's show we'll be talking all things volunteering, youth involvement and a dance collective like no other. So don't go anywhere. 00:00:20:15 - 00:00:26:12 Speaker 1 For our first guest today on the show is Ruth Hopkins. Welcome, Ruth. 00:00:26:16 - 00:00:27:07 Speaker 2 Thanks for having. 00:00:27:07 - 00:00:36:05 Speaker 1 Me. Thank you for coming in. Now you've worked with schools as part of United by 20 to bring the Power School engagement program. So what was your involvement in that? 00:00:36:07 - 00:00:48:20 Speaker 2 So I direct County Ensemble, who are Birmingham based music and dance organization, and we've been leading festival days for severely disabled children in schools and community settings since the games. 00:00:48:21 - 00:00:51:06 Speaker 1 Oh, fantastic. So I suppose it's been very busy. 00:00:51:08 - 00:00:57:18 Speaker 2 It has been. We've been clapping around with loads of musical instruments and sports equipment and having lots of fun. 00:00:57:24 - 00:01:02:06 Speaker 1 And what has been the main project? What's been the main service that you've been providing out of this? 00:01:02:12 - 00:01:13:08 Speaker 2 So there were two things. We had one where we created a festival day in the community setting in Smethwick, and then we provided a training program in schools leading to a school's performance. 00:01:13:10 - 00:01:26:02 Speaker 1 Oh, wonderful. So it's not just a case of putting on an event and it all just ends there. But you have this whole legacy aspect of teaching schools and providing schools materials and how they can do it themselves. But let's talk about that event in Smethwick now. What was that all about? 00:01:26:04 - 00:01:45:22 Speaker 2 The festival day at South in Smethwick gave the opportunity for lots of disabled children, with their able bodied siblings to come along and experience different sorts of sports and music and dance events. So there were eight different activities that they could go around during the day to experience different ways of using Liberty. 00:01:45:24 - 00:01:48:18 Speaker 1 Amazing. Give us an example of one of those activities. 00:01:48:22 - 00:01:58:03 Speaker 2 So we did a music and boxing session where kids were able to move their bodies in time with the beats and play percussion instruments. 00:01:58:06 - 00:02:10:18 Speaker 1 So a bit like Beat Saber, but back in real life rather than VR. Yeah, lovely. Now what is the response been like from the participants themselves, their parents, their family members, their peers? What were their opinions on the event? 00:02:10:22 - 00:02:20:09 Speaker 2 The parents and siblings loved it because it was an opportunity for them to engage in an activity with a disabled family member in a way that was meaningful to all of them, and where they could all have fun. 00:02:20:10 - 00:02:32:20 Speaker 1 So it's true. All inclusive experience was absolutely fantastic. So what is the future of this? We know the great games within the region came to an end a few years ago, and this has all stemmed from that. So what's next for can to you in the very near future? 00:02:32:23 - 00:02:54:02 Speaker 2 The feedback from our project was so positive. People like we need more opportunities like this, and festivals that are tailored towards disabled children. So Kanto Ensemble is going to set up a disability festival. We're in the process of doing this now and raising funds to be able to give opportunities for disabled children to have a say in what the festival looks like. 00:02:54:03 - 00:03:08:14 Speaker 2 Help create it, be the performance and then give young children the experience from, say, mainstream nurseries to come along to those festival days, be part of it and have a positive experience of disability right from their early years. 00:03:08:17 - 00:03:21:01 Speaker 1 Okay, so a fully tailored experience, not just the case of we're putting on this event and hope you can make it. It's actually no, we're going to make you part of the event, part of the designing process and make sure it is totally accessible and appropriate for you. 00:03:21:03 - 00:03:31:15 Speaker 2 Exactly. I think it's really important that the voice of the disabled community is involved in this, to make sure it's really catering to what they're interested in and to their abilities. 00:03:31:17 - 00:03:35:09 Speaker 1 And Ruth, what has been your favorite part of all of this? 00:03:35:11 - 00:04:16:22 Speaker 2 I've had two favorite parts. The first was seeing the reactions of some of the primary students during the project, when the primary students were interacting with the disabled children. Their feedback was they didn't realize they were actually disabled. They were so positive and fun to be around, and it was lovely to see them interacting as equals. Another highlight was seeing how our interns from the University of Birmingham changed their mindset completely about how they would interact with disabled people, and their surprise at the level of disability and need that there was in the city that they hadn't come across before, because it's mainly hidden from mainstream society. 00:04:17:02 - 00:04:25:18 Speaker 1 These student interns that you've gathered, are any of these considering going into teaching or any specific roles that you feel? This experience has really helped with their own progression. 00:04:25:20 - 00:04:36:08 Speaker 2 Yes, several of the interns are interested in working in music education afterwards, so it really gave them the opportunity to get hands on experience and apply their music skills to a real life situation. 00:04:36:09 - 00:04:51:22 Speaker 1 So canteen hasn't only been about helping those with disabilities find and be involved in activities, but also helping students who want to progress into this and really give them a can do attitude. Going into it. That's marvelous. Just touching back to those festival days, what has been the biggest challenge involved in that project? 00:04:52:01 - 00:04:59:11 Speaker 2 I think the biggest challenge is a lot of the most severely disabled children in society are quite hidden and don't have opportunities tailored to them. 00:04:59:12 - 00:04:59:23 Speaker 1 Right. 00:05:00:03 - 00:05:19:11 Speaker 2 And the project gave us the opportunity by working with those most severely disabled, changing the perceptions of mainstream society towards those disabilities. And that in turn will have a trickle up effect to everybody with lesser disabilities as well, because people become more accepting of difference through personal experiences. 00:05:19:15 - 00:05:28:06 Speaker 1 Absolutely. And with the festivals that have already happened and with those that are still yet to happen, what is the ultimate change you'd like Cantu to be known for doing? 00:05:28:08 - 00:05:52:18 Speaker 2 We're hoping that by providing opportunities for both early years and for university interns to work with the most severely disabled children in society, that this will trickle up and shames perceptions in their life later on, in the ways that they interact with people with all sorts of seen and unseen disabilities. And therefore, by working with the most severely disabled, we're actually making the world a more inclusive place. 00:05:52:18 - 00:05:58:15 Speaker 1 But what a wonderful aim, and I'm sure a target that is absolutely attainable for you. Thank you so much for coming on to the show. 00:05:58:18 - 00:05:59:22 Speaker 2 Thank you very much. 00:05:59:24 - 00:06:26:17 Speaker 1 That was Ruth Hopkins on the ripple Effect here on Echo Wood Radio, who has done some amazing work with school programs and accessible festivals, providing families and communities with activities that bring them closer together. Stay tuned is next up. We have some ladies from the Volunteers Collective telling us their story so don't go anywhere.