For World Kindness Day 2021 (13th November) we’re doing 5 things!
1) Thanking our amazingly kind volunteers and supporters.
2) Giving away a FREE Easy Read resource that explains how to be a Kind (Inclusive) Communicator:
The Free audio version is here on our Soundcloud.
3) Showcasing The Include Choir’s special song In My World, and telling the touching story behind it (below).
4) Streaming songs with messages about Kind Communication at #KindFest2021 – the world’s largest online festival of kindness.
5) Sharing the first of Include’s organisational values – decided through coproduction workshops earlier this year… Can you guess what it is?!
In My World…
From the depths of lockdown came a beautifully unifying and uplifting song. It will be showcased at KindFest2021 on World Kindness Day.
We spoke to the three main creators…
“I actually love the song. It makes me feel good and calm. I like singing it and it’s good when the choir sing it,” says Louise.
“My Mum taught me how to play piano and at college I had singing and piano lessons. I have done (Makaton) signing all my lifetime since nursery and school – it helped me lots with learning and communication”.
All of these skills come together when Louise helps The Include Choir.
The inspiration for her song started when the Makaton sign of the week word was Colours. At this time, Include was delivering many services online (not just singing) and offering self-care tips to help people feel okay during lockdown. Louise shared her top tip, which was that coloring helps her to calm. And she has a special book called Keep Calm and Color Unicorns!
But Louise’s all-time favorite phenomenon is the rainbow.
And this is at the heart of the song. She says; “I love colours – they make me feel good – all except black and grey – even though I’m wearing a black T-shirt today! Ha!”
Sue, Include’s resident accompanist (and Louise’s Mum) helped write the song and compose the music.
Sue says; “I asked Louise to think of beautiful things to do with colour. Her input is there throughout; sunsets over a calming sea and the hazy blue of the sky.”
Sue credits her then fiancé, (now husband) Paul, with one of the lyrics “the blushing pink of the roses” because he bought and named a rose for her “The blushing pink”. But says Sue; “Without Louise, there would probably be no song – she is the true inspiration.”
Sue is keen to point out that the song can still feel relevant to people with visual impairments “that’s what colour mean to me” can refer to how people imagine colour.
A stunning animated video featuring The Include Choir and many members of the community singing and signing the song was created by fabulous volunteer Xinning.
“I was living with my boyfriend in a flat in Manchester when I joined this project. Because of the lockdown, we spent all day in the living room working together. But I didn’t meet anyone or make any friends during the lockdown.
I sense the message from the song is that no matter how many difficulties we are facing, always remember to find the existence of beautiful things in our world. I really enjoy the song because gives me the power to get over a hard time and find people who are caring for each other.
I use the simplest way of making animation, which is to draw frame by frame on a computer I believe this is the strongest way to express emotion. I choose to use simple shapes to animate. It is concise and lets people easily understand the meaning which the song wants to convey.
Louise suggested a great idea which was to add butterflies in the animation. She also provided illustrations of butterflies from members of the choir.
I animated it in a rigging animation software.
It makes the video lively.
It feels great to hear people’s feedback on my animation. Sometimes I feel doubtful of my animation but once people told me that my animation is good, I feel everything is worth doing.”
In My World highlights the benefits of being willing to join other people “in their world”. That’s what we mean by Inclusive or Kind Communication. Being willing to adjust ourselves in order to properly connect with someone else.
Communications, Fundraising and Partnerships Lead