The September Sessions explored our rural heritage. In the 1920s, 30s and 40s there were traditional open-air tea dances held weekly within our valley at the Roman Lakes Leisure Park which were great community events which brought local people together to enjoy each other’s company and interact and engage in the rural environment. They offered our local community the opportunity to interact with different age groups in an informal and pleasant way – providing a focus to gather around whilst promoting the opportunity to talk and laugh and make new friends and build bonds.
The September Sessions project celebrated this tradition by hosting an open-air event in September 2018 which celebrated and reflected our rural tradition of open-air music and brought our local community together in the outdoors in a fun way which celebrated the arts and local cultural heritage. This event provided the opportunity for local musicians to share their talents and interests and provide a focal point around which our community gathered and interacted, bringing our community together and making it a stronger more positive place to be. The event also helped promote our group and therefore helped us grow and receive feedback on areas which we should explore in the future and are of interest to our local community.