CELLIST, COMMUNITY MUSICIAN, MUSICIAN IN HEALTHCARE, FACILITATOR, AND PERFORMER
Bela
Emerson
Cello
About bela Emerson
Unique
Bela Emerson is an innovative musician who uses cello to connect with others, support people’s wellbeing, and create responsive sounds and textures.
“Spontaneous music of extreme beauty and power”
– Venue Magazine
“Bela Emerson makes her instrument speak in tongues”
– Ed Pinsent, The Sound Projector
“A more captivating, physical performance you are not likely to see.”
– Brighton Source magazine
COMMUNITY MUSIC
& MUSIC IN HEALTHCARE
Music For Connection - Brighton & Hove
Brighton & Hove’s specialist community music service for adults of all abilities.
We wish to contribute to a society in which everyone can connect through music-making: accessing, playing, and enjoying music together, regardless of economic circumstances, ability or needs, age, social status or previous musical experience.
We are a Brighton & Hove -based social enterprise which has been running community music projects in the city and beyond since 2013. We offer participatory music as a tool for connection in a variety of community-based settings.
With listening and soundmaking at the core of what we provide, we work with older people, for teambuilding and staff wellbeing, with people living with dementia and their carers, for mental health, and string players of all abilities.
Read More About Music For Connection
TRAINER – GOLDSMITHS UNIVERSITY OF LONDON, ROYAL SUSSEX COUNTY HOSPITAL - LONDON/BRIGHTON
Bela facilitates training for musicians, health and social care professionals, & third year medical students.
Goldsmiths University of London:
Working With People Living with Dementia: this course, , running twice a year either in person or online, focuses on how music enables people living with dementia to connect and create, to combat social isolation.
National Lottery –funded music training for carers resumes August ’20.
These free sessions are for professional carers in residential settings to gain confidence in using music-making as a tool for connection.
Transferable Skills from the Arts: an eight-week module for third-year medical students at Royal Sussex County Hospital to develop enhanced interpersonal skills through responsive music-making (with Wishing Well Music in Health)
MUSICIAN IN HEALTHCARE - WISHING WELL MUSIC IN HEALTHCARE
Bela has worked as a responsive and interactive musician on Wishing Well projects since 2013, on the wards of the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital, in many dementia assessment units and community hospitals throughout Sussex, and in the Trevor Mann Baby Unit at Royal Sussex County Hospital.
Wishing Well support wellbeing through a shared musical experience.
MAKE PIECE TOGETHER - BRIGHTON
Make Piece Together is a fully interactive performance work: this 45-minute piece connects a series of spontaneous collaborations between Bela and individual audience members, who are invited to play and co-create with her for two minutes each, to generate a one-off site-specific piece: a collaborative flow of sound.
Participants are offered an initial choice of three approaches to collaboration. As the piece is entirely co-created in the moment, each audience member has an equal opportunity to shape it, to take it in a completely new direction. Every time the piece is performed, it develops in unexpected and delightful ways, unfolding in real time as it’s being made. This piece creates joy and empathy – and no-one, including Bela herself, knows what is coming next.
SESSION MUSICIAN
Bela plays cello for and with other musicians, including recent live work with Liam Gallagher, and previous residencies at Sydney Opera House and Royal Festival Hall.
Bela also composes soundtracks, eg: for acrobats ‘Mimbre’s Falling Up’ and and film (Tereza Buskova’s ACE-funded work) as well as having worked on BBC Radio 4 / BFI projects with Sarah Angliss, Stephen Hiscock, Tamsin Grieg, and Rory Bremner.
COLLABORATIVE PROJECTS
Bela works collaboratively with many artists of different disciplines: visual, dance, acrobatics. During lockdown, improv sound/movement sessions ‘Breath and Waves’ ran online monthly with Rosaria Gracia and will be back in person in spring.
OPEN STRINGS MUSIC - BRIGHTON
Open Strings Music is Brighton & Hove’s specialist community music service for adults of all abilities to connect, communicate, and create together – founded by Bela Emerson in 2013. We currently deliver online and outdoor sessions for and with older people, people living with dementia, for mental health, and staff wellbeing. We are funded by the NHS (2016-2020) for our dementia-friendly music projects, and by Brighton & Hove City Council (2020-2023) for Brighton & Hove Older People’s Music.
TRAINER – GOLDSMITHS UNIVERSITY OF LONDON, ROYAL SUSSEX COUNTY HOSPITAL - LONDON/BRIGHTON
Bela facilitates training for musicians, health and social care professionals, & third year medical students.
Goldsmiths University of London:
Working With People Living with Dementia: this course focuses on how music enables people living with dementia to connect and create, to combat social isolation. Booking now for two online sessions in September ‘20
National Lottery –funded music training for carers resumes August ’20.
These free sessions are for professional carers in residential settings to gain confidence in using music-making as a tool for connection.
Transferable Skills from the Arts: an eight-week module for third-year medical students at Royal Sussex County Hospital to develop enhanced interpersonal skills through responsive music-making (with Wishing Well Music in Health)
MUSICIAN IN HEALTHCARE - WISHING WELL MUSIC IN HEALTHCARE
Bela has worked as a responsive and interactive musician on Wishing Well projects since 2013, on the wards of the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital, in many dementia assessment units and community hospitals throughout Sussex, and in the Trevor Mann Baby Unit at Royal Sussex County Hospital.
Wishing Well support wellbeing through a shared musical experience.
MAKE PIECE TOGETHER - BRIGHTON
Make Piece Together is a fully interactive performance work: this 45-minute piece connects a series of spontaneous collaborations between Bela and individual audience members, who are invited to play and co-create with her for two minutes each, to generate a one-off site-specific piece: a collaborative flow of sound.
Participants are offered an initial choice of three approaches to collaboration. As the piece is entirely co-created in the moment, each audience member has an equal opportunity to shape it, to take it in a completely new direction. Every time the piece is performed, it develops in unexpected and delightful ways, unfolding in real time as it’s being made. This piece creates joy and empathy – and no-one, including Bela herself, knows what is coming next.
SESSION MUSICIAN
Bela plays cello for and with other musicians, including recent live work with Liam Gallagher, and previous residencies at Sydney Opera House and Royal Festival Hall.
Bela also composes for acrobats ‘Mimbre’s Falling Up’ and and film (Tereza Buskova’s ACE-funded work) as well as having worked on BBC Radio 4 / BFI projects with Sarah Angliss, Stephen Hiscock, Tamsin Grieg, and Rory Bremner.
COLLABORATIVE PROJECTS
Bela works collaboratively with many artists of different disciplines: visual, dance, acrobatics. During lockdown, improv sound/movement sessions ‘Breath and Waves’ ran online monthly with Rosaria Garcia and will be back in person in spring.