September sees the annual Saltaire Festival and there is always plenty going on in the village. It was drizzly and I had other engagements but I managed to fit in a brief visit on the first Saturday.
I came across this amazing music collective playing in a corner of the church grounds. They were 'Mojojack Music', whose strapline is 'Disability Rocks'. Some if not most of the performers had some kind of learning disability but their music was excellent and quite a crowd had gathered to listen. They are apparently very inclusive. One young man playing the keyboard was simply playing a single repeated note but it all fitted together beautifully and everyone was enjoying it hugely.
I've done a little research as I didn't know anything about them. It seems that what used to be Salts Sports Club Bar, which had been empty for a while, has been taken over as 'Salts Hub', a day-care centre for adults with learning disabilities, neurodivergence and autism. I hadn't heard about this but it's existed for about three years now. Mojojack Music is a dedicated day care service centred around enhancing the lives of individuals with learning disabilities through music. In the same premises, Skills Kitchen is 'a fun & practical home cooking day service, providing training & skills while promoting self reliance & independence'. What good stuff.
What courageous individuals to entertain...though it's just my own stage fright talking. I'm sure that they had a lot of fun making music and sharing it. What a good program!
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