By Margaret Maccoll
After working with Noosa singer/songwirter Kate Anbeek to arrange music for lullabies from around the world Alison Burnley will next week launch a program for mothers to sing folk lullabies to their newborns.
“Some of the music from different cultures is quite different to English,“ she said. “We have to simplify the tunes to make it easy for people. Some may not have sung before,“ she said.
“It will sound really beautiful.
“Mamas will learn folk lullabies from around the globe, singing to their newborns, creating sublime harmonies, unearthing their creativity and offering a much-needed opportunity to connect with new mums.”
Alison has long been involved in creating “experiential and ceremonial works that provoke the mind and awaken the senses”.
She has worked as a youth theatre director, studied Community Theatre at the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts and co-founded multidisciplinary community arts organisation, Inside Out Arts.
Alison has worked as a producer for the BBC, a community engagement manager at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre and since moving to Australia in 2013 has worked on the programming team at The Edge at State Library of Queensland and produced work for Woodford Folk Festival, BrisAsia and Brisbane Festival.
This is not Alison’s first venture involving mothers and babies.
When she became a mother she wondered how she could use her skills as an artist to support new mums and celebrate their journey of motherhood.
So Alison began training as a postpartum doula, a non-medical role to support mothers after childbirth and The Mama Circle Sunshine Coast was born.
“The Mama Circle provides postpartum doula services alongside creative projects for new mamas,” she said.
The Lullaby Ensemble will run for six weeks at the Birth and Baby Village, Noosaville.
Alison has secured funding through Noosa Council and Arts Queensland’s Regional Arts Development Fund to pilot the project.The two hour, weekly sessions will also include time for meditation, meeting other mamas and sharing a nourishing morning tea. The project runs for six weeks and costs just $12 a session to cover the costs of refreshments. There are limited spaces still available. To book your place, please visit www.themamacirclesunshinecoast.com/lullabyensemble or by visiting the Facebook page @mamacirclesunshinecoast
