Yorkshire Festival: 1300 new band members for The Tour of Infinite Possibility

As part of the Yorkshire Festival 2014, Leeds band Hope & Social are marching their special brand of heart-on-the-sleeve music around the route of the Grand Départ on a Tour of Infinite Possibility (TIP), gathering 100’s of new band members along the way.

Over the last few months the band have been working hard with communities along the route of the Yorkshire Grand Depart. They’ve been rocking schools, pubs and music centres across Yorkshire through a series of recruitment gigs and music workshops with individuals and community groups.

There are now 1300 members of 'A Band Anyone Can Join' – people of all ages and musical abilities – and now they are ready to embark on The Tour of Infinite Possibility – a Yorkshire Festival 2014 project, by Hope & Social with Grassington Festival. This weekend kicks off with gigs in Otley, Grassington, Hawes on Saturday, and Masham, Ripon and Harrogate on Sunday.

This is a project that has already smashed expectations. We hoped people would get it. We hoped people would care. Heck, we even hoped some would join in. But the figures say it all: 80 MUSIC WORKSHOPS. 100 COMMUNITY GROUPS. 1300 PARTICIPANTS.

Wow.

Some may see the gigs as the focal point of the project but in fact, the workshops are what it’s about. It’s been a relentless schedule and hard work, but the euphoria from the workshops may have kept Hope & Social sane. Frontman Si Wainwright explains:

"Turning up in Masham on a very sleepy bank holiday Monday, tired, and broken to be greeted by 3 clarinet players, 3 violin players, 2 guitarists and a load of singers; all armed with music, smiles and ready to give it their all. An hour later we’re playing as a band and everyone’s beaming. BEAMING. Ed and I were quite literally saved by their music making that night."

"Or heading over to Otley to a school group of 150 6-10 year olds. Strumming the first few bars of The Big Wide and then all 150 crashing in on the first word and singing the whole thing beginning to end without a single prompt."

So what lasting impact will TIP have? Something amazing happens to people who take part in really great live shows. You can see people grow in confidence and stature before your very eyes; become happier, empowered and positive. TIP will bring people together, and leave in its wake the nucleus of 12 new inspired music groups at the heart of Yorkshire communities. Most of all, these people will see that amazing things are possible.

So as we brace ourselves for weekend 1 of The Tour of Infinite Possibility, frowning at the weather forecasts and hoping someone has packed Berocca, if we’re all completely honest, we cannot wait to get this show on the road!

Be part of it at www.facebook.com/hsTIP | Twitter @hopeandsocial #hsTIP

Weekend 1 gigs:

• Saturday 7th June – Otley | Grassington | Hawes

• Sunday 8th June – Masham | Ripon | Harrogate

Weekend 2 gigs:

• Saturday 21st June – Knaresborough | Addingham | Keighley

• Sunday 22nd June – Elland | Holmfirth | Sheffield