Empowering the young through live performance

A MUSIC project group learned to embrace outdoors singing during Covid, so the idea of an outdoor event space in Walkinstown Green was born to make things safer.

Joyful Noise Dublin is an upbeat community music project that empowers young people with disabilities through the experience of learning pop songs and live performance.

It began in 2016 emerging out of WALK who support people with disabilities to live self-determined lives.

Since then the group have performed in a number of venues including the Sugar Club, Body & Soul and Love Sensation.

On Saturday the group took to the stage again to give a rousing performance of 10 pop hits at Waterford’s All Together Now Festival, joining a billing that included Iggy Pop, The Sugarbabes and Jamie XX.

Mark Hart, Team Lead/Careers & Employment Facilitator of WALK, said members named their outdoor group the Songbirds Nest but it is more frequently known as the Nest.

“The addition of the Nest benefits a lot of people from local community groups and businesses who book it, diners of the café and participants of WALK too,” said Mark.

In Waterford, the Joyful Noise group also used their stage to show their support of Ukraine by wearing tie-dye tee-shirts with yellow and blue, commissioned by artist Niamh Kiernan who also attends WALK and is in the early stages of running her own business, Niamh’s Colourful Crafts.

The group also recruited their own backing band for the event by attending the Ballyfermot College of Further and Higher Education Musicians’ Showcase earlier in the year and came across talented young guitarist Brandon Carrig with his band Hot Mess.

Group member and singer Sophie Dowling said: “This is one of the best days of my life, I will never forget this day. I didn’t know how much I loved singing out loud until I joined Joyful Noise. It’s done a lot for me and I have made some great friends in it too.”

Singer Fiadhnait Canning said: “I enjoy the whole thing, getting to know people who become your friends and singing songs together at gigs gives you the best memories. We learn life lessons together, we have fun together and it is just the best band of friends.”

Kathryn Griffin said: “Joyful Noise ask its members to make the decisions and it got me speaking out for myself. I used to give up on things and didn’t stick things out but then I started in Joyful Noise, I made friends and it gave me the confidence to share ideas and suggestions and to show people that I have a voice”.

The group practise in The Nest which is a large pergola in the garden of The Green Kitchen, Walkinstown.

“It’s actually something they largely paid for themselves using donations that were given specifically to support the project,” said Mark.

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