Hand on Heart Arts – the Rochester-based creative arts company – celebrates its one year anniversary this month, with the pioneering organisation planning to host a musical event in Medway to mark its milestone year.
Hand on Heart Arts Ltd was conceived and incorporated by Russ Grooms and Laura Callaghan in 2012 as a value-driven arts company with exemplary leadership, delivering in the field of arts development, music, arts education and therapy across the country.
Russ Grooms, one of the founders of Hand on Heart Arts stated, “It is extremely rewarding to see an idea become a vibrant company that serves so many diverse arts clients across the UK, especially at a time of national recession. I’m honoured to be the Director of a Company that works on so many exciting and worthy projects, with some really top-rate clients and partners”.
“We have had a brilliant first year of operation and we would like to publicly thank our clients and partners that have entrusted projects and programmes of work to Hand on Heart Arts”, said Laura Callaghan, joint Director of Hand on Heart Arts. “We thank them, and every person who has helped us succeed over the last year, and for years to come. We now briefly pause from serving our clients to reflect on an incredible journey so far and look forward to new achievements together in the future”.
In 2012-2013, Hand on Heart Arts has provided coordination, project management, conference management, creative consultancy, business consultancy, training, tutoring and therapy to a range of arts and arts education clients. Hand on Heart Arts have worked on programmes and projects with national organisations including the Philharmonic Orchestra (http://www.philharmonia.co.uk) on their award-winning Universe of Sound installation in Canterbury and Birmingham; Gibson guitars (http://www2.gibson.com); Rhythmix (http://rhythmixmusic.org.uk/) a youth music charity working across the South East, working with young people in challenging circumstances; Musiko Musika (http://www.musikomusika.org) an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation working in world music education nationally and internationally; and Surrey Music Hub (http://www.surreymusichub.com/) which is Surrey’s Music Education Hub.
Hand on Heart Arts also work with local partners to sustain local Kent and Medway based arts and music provision, including Kent Music (http://www.kent-music.com/), wherein Hand on Heart Arts project manages their award-winning Orchestra ONE project (Orchestra ONE won the Medway Culture and Design Award 2012 for music); and Epple Bay Ceramics (http://folksy.com/shops/epplebayceramics) which is a Thanet-based ceramics and pottery business.
To celebrate its first year in business, Hand on Heart Arts will be hosting a free, one-night-only house gig in Rochester, Medway, featuring a local Kent-based music group later in the year, on a first-come first-served basis. Tickets will be available later this month. Email enquires for tickets can be made via housegig@handonheartarts.com