As part of the collaboration, students from Sheffield Hallam’s Creative Industries Institute will be developing creative ideas with Harmony Works and documenting the regeneration of their new home in Canada House.
The agreement marks the beginning of a partnership between Sheffield Hallam and Harmony Works, with both organisations continuing to explore ways to collaborate going forward.
Having secured the Grade II* listed building for £1.6 million earlier this year, the Harmony Works team is currently working to transform Canada House into a landmark new home for inspirational music education and opportunity.
The partnership is part of Sheffield Hallam’s Future Now projects, where students from Sheffield Hallam can apply knowledge from their courses to real-world problems and opportunities whilst supporting organisations and charities in the region.
Over the academic year Hallam students will help Harmony Works to document the past, present and future of Canada House, developing an archive of its history and transformation.
Students will also create proposals for the interiors of the building to create welcoming and accessible spaces whilst retaining the building’s unique heritage.
The first outputs from this creative collaboration are a series of moving posters which celebrated the past lives of Canada House, and the future aims of Harmony Works. The posters were designed and created by Graphic Design students at Hallam who used the building, Harmony Works’ vision and the topic of unequal access to arts education as their inspiration.
Students on the course appreciated the chance to use their skills on a live project with a partner organisation, one of the students involved said: “It was certainly interesting. I think being set a brief by an external partner gives us all a more realistic look at what working with clients could be like in the future.”
Roger Bateman, Director of Sheffield Hallam University’s Creative Industries Institute, said: “This is an exciting new collaboration for Sheffield Hallam University and Harmony Works which will provide our students with valuable opportunities to apply their creative knowledge to real-world projects and contribute to the development of Sheffield's vibrant cultural scene.
“The redevelopment of Canada House and the movement of S1 Artspace to Fitzalan Square, both close to our flagship Creative Industries Institute building, the former Sheffield Head Post Office, show how our city centre is developing as a creative hub, benefitting arts and culture across the region and providing opportunities for sharing knowledge and expertise."
Emily Pieters, Harmony Works Trust’s Project Director, added: “We are delighted to partner with Sheffield Hallam University in this new creative collaboration. The students will help us to capture and curate the ambitious regeneration of Canada House in a more creative and inspiring way.
“Our partnerships with the city’s major institutions remain absolutely fundamental to the success of Harmony Works, so we thank the University for supporting our long-term mission to share the fascinating heritage of Canada House and create more accessible and inclusive musical opportunities for young people and their communities across the Sheffield region.”
