Jam Around The Table

Written in collaboration between Natasha Cowie and Hannah Finnimore

Jam Around The Table is a project about getting back to basics - good music, good company and a good chat around a table. We combine mental health training with artistic musical expertise to create a series of workshops that are fun, creative, and supportive of the wellbeing of our fantastic participants.

Since October 2021, we have run 3 sessions across 9 days for 17 for young people aged 14 - 19.

In a relaxed, open and friendly environment, it has been amazing to see the self-expression and harmony that each group has achieved through their music!

Stella in action!

Led by Creative Associate Stella Litras, the group really let their ideas flourish and confidence grow as they conceptualised and performed their own songs, poems and spoken word pieces. We began with warm up and vocal exercises, shared songs and the personal significance of them, wrote affirmations about the future and devised poetry and new songs.

At our most recent sessions we were delighted to be joined by industry professional Rob Green, who came in to give a talk on creative expression and performed some of his own work, as well as give detailed feedback on the group's work so far.

While mostly focussed on music and how it can help us manage stress and express ourselves, it was wonderful to get direct insight into the professional lives of creatives and learn more about their process. Thanks again to Stella, Rob and Denise for their contributions to Jam Around The Table!

Each participant absorbed everything from the sessions and were very generous with offering their thoughts and ideas. They offered honest and profound lyrics reflecting their feelings, and put their all into writing and performing songs, poetry and spoken word. They supported and co-created a space that was open and encouraging and by the end of the sessions, there was a wonderful communal atmosphere.

We are so proud of the artistic work, and maturity of each of our participants. Jam Around The Table is the start of something really exciting as some of the young people are taking this one step further and performing their songs at upcoming talent shows. The spirit of Jam Around The Table continues, watch this space!

This has given me more confidence and made me comfortable...I understand that I am important, that I can go out there and do things that I want to do and achieve those things

Cover image by Tony Bartholomew

Film by Ashley Karrell

Comments (0)

Please verify your action

Comment (maximum 3500 characters) (required)

Add a picture

Notify me when someone makes a comment

First name (required)

Last name (required)

Email (required)

Which country do you live in?

Postcode (required)

Address line 1

Address line 2

Town or city

Keeping in Touch

In addition to contacting you with administration information, such as when setting up a gift or volunteering, we'd love to keep you posted with our news, activities and how you can help in other ways. We'll never sell or swap your details with anybody else.

For more information see our privacy policy.

You are free to change your mind at anytime. Please tick these boxes to tell us if you are happy for us to contact you about…

GCF updates

We'd love to keep you posted with our news, activities and how you can help in other ways. We'll never sell or swap your details with anybody else. You are free to change your mind at anytime. Please indicate how you would like to hear from us by using the tick boxes below. If you select email, you will receive email updates in the form of our monthly newsletter 'GCF Insider'.

Via email

Via telephone

Via SMS

Via post

Which country do you live in?

Postcode (required)

Address line 1

Address line 2

Town or city

Your Privacy

We will always store your personal details securely. We'll use them to provide the service that you have requested, and communicate with you in the way(s) that you have agreed to. Your data may also be used for analysis purposes, to help us provide the best service possible. For full details see our Privacy Policy or contact us on 0113 243 1166.

By submitting this form you are agreeing to our terms and conditions

Website Terms & Conditions
Acceptance of terms
This Agreement, which incorporates by reference other provisions applicable to use of www.gcfoundation.co.uk, including, but not limited to, supplemental terms and conditions set forth hereof ("Supplemental Terms") governing the use of certain specific material contained in www.gcfoundation.co.uk, sets forth the terms and conditions that apply to use of www.gcfoundation.co.uk by the user. By using www.gcfoundation.co.uk (other than to read this Agreement for the first time), the user agrees to comply with all of the terms and conditions hereof. The right to use www.gcfoundation.co.uk is personal to the user and is not transferable to any other person or entity. The user is responsible for all use of the user's Account (under any screen name or password) and for ensuring that all use of the user's Account complies fully with the provisions of this Agreement. The user shall be responsible for protecting the confidentiality of their password(s), if any.
The Geraldine Connor Foundation (GCF) shall have the right at any time to change or discontinue any aspect or feature of www.gcfoundaton.co.uk, including, but not limited to, content, hours of availability, and equipment needed for access or use.
Changed Terms
GCF shall have the right at any time to change or modify the terms and conditions applicable to the user's use of www.gcfoundation.co.uk, or any part thereof, or to impose new conditions, including, but not limited to, adding fees and charges for use.
Such changes, modifications, additions or deletions shall be effective immediately upon notice thereof, which may be given by means including, but not limited to, posting on www.gcfoundation.co.uk, or by electronic or conventional mail, or by any other means by which the user obtains notice thereof. Any use of www.gcfoundation.co.uk by user after such notice shall be deemed to constitute acceptance by the user of such changes, modifications or additions.
Description of services
Through its website, GCF provides the user with access to a variety of resources, including event listings, downloadable materials, means of communication and product information (collectively "Services"). The Services, including any updates, enhancements, new features, and/or the addition of any new Web properties, are subject to the Terms and Conditions.
User Conduct
The user shall use www.gcfoundation.co.uk for lawful purposes only. The user shall not post or transmit through www.gcfoundation.co.uk any material which violates or infringes in any way upon the rights of others, which is unlawful, threatening, abusive, defamatory, invasive of privacy or publicity rights, vulgar, obscene, profane or otherwise objectionable, which encourages conduct that would constitute a criminal offense, give rise to civil liability or otherwise violate any law, or which, without GCF 's express prior approval, contains advertising or any solicitation with respect to products or services. Any conduct by the user that in GCF 's discretion restricts or inhibits any other user from using or enjoying www.gcfoundation.co.uk will not be permitted. The user shall not use www.gcfoundation.co.uk to advertise or perform any commercial solicitation, including, but not limited to, the solicitation of users to become subscribers of other on-line information services competitive with GCF .

www.gcfoundation.co.uk contains copyrighted material, trademarks and other proprietary information, including, but not limited to, text, software, photos, video, graphics, music and sound, and the entire contents of www.gcfoundation.co.uk are copyrighted as a collective work under the UK copyright laws. GCF owns a copyright in the selection, coordination, arrangement and enhancement of such content, as well as in the content original to it. The user may not modify, publish, transmit, participate in the transfer or sale, create derivative works, or in any way exploit, any of the content, in whole or in part. Users may download copyrighted material for their personal use only. Except as otherwise expressly permitted under copyright law, no copying, redistribution, retransmission, publication or commercial exploitation of downloaded material will be permitted without the express permission of GCF and the copyright owner. In the event of any permitted copying, redistribution or publication of copyrighted material, no changes in or deletion of author attribution, trademark legend or copyright notice shall be made. The user acknowledges that it does not acquire any ownership rights by downloading copyrighted material.

The user shall not upload, post or otherwise make available on www.gcfoundation.co.uk any material protected by copyright, trademark or other proprietary right without the express permission of the owner of the copyright, trademark or other proprietary right and the burden of determining that any material is not protected by copyright rests with the user. The user shall be solely liable for any damage resulting from any infringement of copyrights, proprietary rights, or any other harm resulting from such a submission. By submitting material to any public area of www.gcfoundation.co.uk, the user automatically grants, or warrants that the owner of such material has expressly granted GCF the royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable, non-exclusive right and license to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate and distribute such material (in whole or in part) worldwide and/or to incorporate it in other works in any form, media or technology now known or hereafter developed for the full term of any copyright that may exist in such material. The user also permits any other user to access, view, store or reproduce the material for that user's personal use. The user hereby grants Take Art the right to edit, copy, publish and distribute any material made available on www.takeart.org by the user.

The foregoing provisions of Section 5 are for the benefit of GCF, its affiliates and its third party content providers and licensors and each shall have the right to assert and enforce such provisions directly or on its own behalf.

Use of services
The Services may contain comment boards, personal fundraiser pages or other communication facilities designed to enable the user to communicate with others (each a "Communication Service" and collectively "Communication Services"). The user agrees to use the Communication Services only to post, send and receive messages and material that are proper and, when applicable, related to the particular Communication Service. By way of example, and not as a limitation, The user agrees that when using the Communication Services, the user will not:

Use the Communication Services in connection with surveys, contests, pyramid schemes, chain letters, junk email, spamming or any duplicative or unsolicited messages (commercial or otherwise).
Defame, abuse, harass, stalk, threaten or otherwise violate the legal rights (such as rights of privacy and publicity) of others.
Publish, post, upload, distribute or disseminate any inappropriate, profane, defamatory, obscene, indecent or unlawful topic, name, material or information.
Upload, or otherwise make available, files that contain images, photographs, software or other material protected by intellectual property laws, including, by way of example, and not as limitation, copyright or trademark laws (or by rights of privacy or publicity) unless the user owns or control the rights thereto or have received all necessary consent to do the same.
Use any material or information, including images or photographs, which are made available through the Services in any manner that infringes any copyright, trademark, patent, trade secret, or other proprietary right of any party.
Upload files that contain viruses, Trojan horses, worms, time bombs, cancelbots, corrupted files, or any other similar software or programs that may damage the operation of another's computer or property of another.
Advertise or offer to sell or buy any goods or services for any business purpose, unless such Communication Services specifically allows such messages.
Download any file posted by another user of a Communication Service that the users know, or reasonably should know, cannot be legally reproduced, displayed, performed, and/or distributed in such manner.
Falsify or delete any copyright management information, such as author attributions, legal or other proper notices or proprietary designations or labels of the origin or source of software or other material contained in a file that is uploaded.
Restrict or inhibit any other user from using and enjoying the Communication Services.
Violate any code of conduct or other guidelines which may be applicable for any particular Communication Service.
Harvest or otherwise collect information about others, including email addresses.
Violate any applicable laws or regulations.
Create a false identity for the purpose of misleading others.
Use, download or otherwise copy, or provide (whether or not for a fee) to a person or entity any directory of the users of the Services or other user or usage information or any portion thereof.
GCF has no obligation to monitor the Communication Services. However, GCF reserves the right to review materials posted to the Communication Services and to remove any materials in its sole discretion. GCF reserves the right to terminate the user's access to any or all of the Communication Services at any time, without notice, for any reason whatsoever. GCF reserves the right at all times to disclose any information as it deems necessary to satisfy any applicable law, regulation, legal process or governmental request, or to edit, refuse to post or to remove any information or materials, in whole or in part, in GCF’s sole discretion.

Materials uploaded to the Communication Services may be subject to posted limitations on usage, reproduction and/or dissemination; The user is responsible for adhering to such limitations if the user downloads the materials.

Always use caution when giving out any personally identifiable information in any Communication Services. GCF does not control or endorse the content, messages or information found in any Communication Services and, therefore, GCF specifically disclaims any liability with regard to the Communication Services and any actions resulting from the user's participation in any Communication Services.
Notice specific to documents made available on this website
Permission to use Documents (such as downloads, white papers, press releases, datasheets and FAQs) from the Services is granted, provided that (1) the below copyright notice appears in all copies and that both the copyright notice and this permission notice appear, (2) use of such Documents from the Services is for informational and non-commercial or personal use only and will not be copied or posted on any network computer or broadcast in any media, and (3) no modifications of any Documents are made. Accredited educational institutions, such as universities and private/public colleges may download and reproduce the Documents for distribution in the classroom. Distribution outside the classroom requires express written permission. Use for any other purpose is expressly prohibited by law, and may result in severe civil and criminal penalties. Violators will be prosecuted to the maximum extent possible.
GCF and/or its respective suppliers make no representations about the suitability of the information contained in the documents and related graphics published as part of the services for any purpose. All such documents and related graphics are provided "As is" without warranty of any kind. GCF and/or its respective suppliers hereby disclaim all warranties and conditions with regard to this information, including all warranties and conditions of merchantability, whether express, implied or statutory, fitness for a particular purpose, title and non-infringement. In no event shall GCF and/or its respective suppliers be liable for any special, indirect or consequential damages or any damages whatsoever resulting from loss of use, data or profits, whether in an action of contract, negligence or other tortious action, arising out of or in connection with the use or performance of information available from the services.

The documents and related graphics published on the services could include technical inaccuracies or typographical errors. Changes are periodically added to the information herein. GCF and/or its respective suppliers may make improvements and/or changes in the product(s) and/or the program(s) described herein at any time.

Notices regarding Software, Documents and Services available on this website
In no event shall GCF and/or its respective suppliers be liable for any special, indirect or consequential damages or any damages whatsoever resulting from loss of use, data or profits, whether in an action of contract, negligence or other tortious action, arising out of or in connection with the use or performance of software, documents, provision of or failure to provide services, or information available from the services.

Materials provided to GCF or posted on its websites
GCF does not claim ownership of the materials users provide to GCF (including feedback and suggestions) or post, upload, input or submit to any Services or its associated services for review by the general public, or by the members of any public or private community, (each a "Submission" and collectively "Submissions"). However, by posting, uploading, inputting, providing or submitting ("Posting") User's Submission the user is granting GCF, its affiliated companies and necessary sublicensees permission to use the user's submission in connection with the operation of their businesses (including, without limitation, all GCF Services), including, without limitation, the license rights to: copy, distribute, transmit, publicly display, publicly perform, reproduce, edit, translate and reformat User's Submission; to publish the user's name in connection with User's Submission; and the right to sublicense such rights to any supplier of the Services.

No compensation will be paid with respect to the use of User's Submission, as provided herein. GCF is under no obligation to post or use any Submission User may provide and GCF may remove any Submission at any time in its sole discretion. By Posting a Submission the user warrants and represents to own or otherwise control all of the rights to the user's Submission as described in these Terms of Use including, without limitation, all the rights necessary for the user to provide, post, upload, input or submit the Submissions.

In addition to the warranty and representation set forth above, by Posting a Submission that contain images, photographs, pictures or that are otherwise graphical in whole or in part ("Images"), the user warrant and represent that (a) the user is the copyright owner of such Images, or that the copyright owner of such Images has granted the user permission to use such Images or any content and/or images contained in such Images consistent with the manner and purpose of the user's use and as otherwise permitted by these Terms of Use and the Services, (b) User's have the rights necessary to grant the licenses and sublicenses described in these Terms of Use, and (c) that each person depicted in such Images, if any, has provided consent to the use of the Images as set forth in these Terms of Use, including, by way of example, and not as a limitation, the distribution, public display and reproduction of such Images. By Posting Images, the user is granting (a) to all members of the user's private community (for each such Images available to members of such private community), and/or (b) to the general public (for each such Images available anywhere on the Services, other than a private community), permission to use the user's Images in connection with the use, as permitted by these Terms of Use, of any of the Services, (including, by way of example, and not as a limitation, making prints and gift items which include such Images), and including, without limitation, a non-exclusive, world-wide, royalty-free license to: copy, distribute, transmit, publicly display, publicly perform, reproduce, edit, translate and reformat the user's Images without having the user's name attached to such Images, and the right to sublicense such rights to any supplier of the Services. The licenses granted in the preceding sentences for a Images will terminate at the time the user completely remove such Images from the Services, provided that, such termination shall not affect any licenses granted in connection with such Images prior to the time the user completely remove such Images. No compensation will be paid with respect to the use of the user's Images.

Disclaimer of Warranty; Limitation of Liability
The user expressly agrees that use of www.gcfoundation.co.uk is at the user's sole risk. Neither GCF, its affiliates nor any of their respective employees, agents, third party content providers or licensors warrant that www.gcfoundation.co.uk will be uninterrupted or error free; nor do they make any warranty as to the results that may be obtained from use of www.gcfoundation.co.uk, or as to the accuracy, reliability or content of any information, service, or merchandise provided through www.gcfoundation.co.uk

www.gcfoundation.co.uk is provided on an "As is" basis without warranties of any kind, either express or implied, including, but not limited to, warranties of title or implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose, other than those warranties which are implied by and incapable of exclusion, restriction or modification under the laws applicable to this agreement.

This disclaimer of liability applies to any damages or injury caused by any failure of performance, error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or transmission, computer virus, communication line failure, theft or destruction or unauthorised access to, alteration of, or use of record, whether for breach of contract, tortious behavior, negligence, or under any other cause of action. The user specifically acknowledges that GCF is not liable for the defamatory, offensive or illegal conduct of other users or third-parties and that the risk of injury from the foregoing rests entirely with the user.

In no event will GCF, or any person or entity involved in creating, producing or distributing www.gcfoundation.co.uk, be liable for any damages, including, without limitation, direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential or punitive damages arising out of the use of or inability to use www.gcfoundation.co.uk. The user hereby acknowledges that the provisions of this section shall apply to all content on the site.

In addition to the terms set forth above neither, GCF, nor its affiliates, information providers or content partners shall be liable regardless of the cause or duration, for any errors, inaccuracies, omissions, or other defects in, or untimeliness or unauthenticity of, the information contained within www.gcfoundation.co.uk, or for any delay or interruption in the transmission thereof to the user, or for any claims or losses arising therefrom or occasioned thereby. None of the foregoing parties shall be liable for any third-party claims or losses of any nature, including, but not limited to, lost profits, punitive or consequential damages.

Force majeure
Neither party will be responsible for any failure or delay in performance due to circumstances beyond its reasonable control, including, without limitation, acts of god, war, riot, embargoes, acts of civil or military authorities, fire, floods, accidents, service outages resulting from equipment and/or software failure and/or telecommunications failures, power failures, network failures, failures of third party service providers (including providers of internet services and telecommunications). The party affected by any such event shall notify the other party within a maximum of fifteen (15) days from its occurence. The performance of this agreement shall then be suspended for as long as any such event shall prevent the affected party from performing its obligations under this agreement.

Links to third parties
The links in this area will let you leave GCF’s site. The linked sites are not under the control of GCF and GCF is not responsible for the contents of any linked site or any link contained in a linked site, or any changes or updates to such sites. GCF is not responsible for webcasting or any other form of transmission received from any linked site. GCF is providing these links to you only as a convenience, and the inclusion of any link does not imply endorsement by GCF of the site.

GCF is a distributor (and not a publisher) of content supplied by third parties and Users. Accordingly, GCF has no more editorial control over such content than does a public library or bookshop. Any opinions, advice, statements, services, offers, or other information or content expressed or made available by third parties, including information providers, the user or any other user of www.gcfoundation.co.uk, are those of the respective author(s) or distributor(s) and not of GCF. Neither GCF nor any third-party provider of information guarantees the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any content, nor its merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose.

In many instances, the content available through www.gcfoundation.co.uk represents the opinions and judgments of the respective information provider, the user, or other users not under contract with GCF. GCF neither endorses nor is responsible for the accuracy or reliability of any opinion, advice or statement made on www.gcfoundation.co.uk by anyone other than authorised GCF employee spokespersons while acting in their official capacities. Under no circumstances will GCF be liable for any loss or damage caused by a user's reliance on information obtained through www.gcfoundation.co.uk. It is the responsibility of the user to evaluate the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of any information, opinion, advice or other content available through GCF. Please seek the advice of professionals, as appropriate, regarding the evaluation of any specific information, opinion, advice or other content.

Monitoring
GCF shall have the right, but not the obligation, to monitor the content of www.gcfoundation.co.uk, including comment boards, to determine compliance with this Agreement and any operating rules established by GCF and to satisfy any law, regulation or authorized government request. GCF shall have the right in its sole discretion to edit, refuse to post or remove any material submitted to or posted on www.gcfoundation.co.uk. Without limiting the foregoing, GCF shall have the right to remove any material that GCF, in its sole discretion, finds to be in violation of the provisions hereof or otherwise objectionable.

Indemnification
The user agrees to defend, indemnify and hold harmless GCF, its affiliates and their respective directors, officers, employees and agents from and against all claims and expenses, including attorneys' fees, arising out of the use of GCF by the user or the user's Account.
Donations
Your donation will be processed and administered by the Geraldine Connor Foundation, a charity registered in England and Wales (1156982). Donations made towards our general fund will be used at our own discretion, but always for our charitable objectives. Donations can be made online at gcfoundation.co.uk. By making a donation you confirm that you agree to these terms and conditions.
You must be aged 18 or over to make a donation.
You must not use borrowed, stolen, or forged payment methods to make your donation. Should you do so, you agree to accept full responsibility for such action and to indemnify GCF in respect of all actions, claims, damages, liability, fees, costs and expenses whatsoever that arise as a result of your actions.
Donations are non-refundable.
The easiest way to make a Single (one-off ) Donation is via our online form.
Online Single Donations can be made by debit card. We do not store your debit card details, only the confirmation from our bank that your credit card payment has been approved.
GCF is registered under, and will process your personal data in accordance with, data protection legislation. Any personal data that is provided to us in the course of any transaction with you (with the exception of any credit card or bank details which shall be kept confidential) shall be processed in accordance with GCF’s Privacy and Cookies Policy.
Purchase of Event Tickets
Tickets to GCF events can be purchased through www.gcfoundation.co.uk.
Tickets are non-refundable unless the event is cancelled. In the case of cancellation of events you will be entitled to a refund. If an event is rescheduled, your ticket will be valid for the rescheduled date.
Termination
GCF or the user may terminate this Agreement at any time. Without limiting the foregoing, GCF shall have the right to immediately terminate the user's Account in the event of any conduct by the user GCF, in its sole discretion, considers to be unacceptable, or in the event of any breach by the user of this Agreement.
Miscellaneous
This Agreement and any operating rules for www.gcfoundation.co.uk established by GCF constitute the entire agreement of the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof, and supersede all previous written or oral agreements between the parties with respect to such subject matter. This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with the laws of the United Kingdom, without regard to its conflict of laws rules. No waiver by either party of any breach or default hereunder shall be deemed to be a waiver of any preceding or subsequent breach or default. The section headings used herein are for convenience only and shall not be given any legal import.

Copyright notice
GCF’s logos are trademarks of GCF. All rights reserved. All other trademarks appearing on GCF their respective owners.

Trademarks
The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners. The example companies, organisations, products, domain names, email addresses, logos, people and events depicted herein are fictitious. No association with any real company, organization, product, domain name, email address, logo, person, or event is intended or should be inferred.

Any rights not expressly granted herein are reserved.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Latest

The Geraldine Connor Foundation is changing

After twelve hugely successful years of operation the Geraldine Connor Foundation is changing! In 2024 the Geraldine Connor Foundation will no longer exist as a charity but will move forward in a different form as the “Geraldine Connor Creatives”. Click to read the full announcement.
Sonia Boyce: Feeling Her Way

As part of the ongoing exhibition Feeling Her Way by Sonia Boyce, GCF young artists will be taking over the gallery - with live performances and open mic.
Cultural Exchange

GCF is proud to have supported the Grand Futures Cultural Exchange programme for many years.
Cultural Exchange 2023!

The Grand Futures Cultural Exchange returned for another year as we took a group of Year 10 Leeds City Academy students for three days of jam-packed work experience activities!

Meet the Team

Meet the GCF team. Read more