Dear web reader - This section is a bit long -
We are not intending to document every project here, but provide a broad brushstroke impression of the journey that we have been on.
We plan to update this with a documentary photo archive in the future.

Before 1985 Tim Fleming & Elaine Whitewood worked as freelance performers & musicians, and were company members of Interplay in Leeds for four years.  With that company, they were instrumental in pioneering a multi sensory approach to theatre for young people and adults with special needs.   This, they discovered, was a neglected area with little sympathy, understanding or funding.   Especially sparse was work for children with emotional and behavioural difficulties.   In 1985 Whitewood & Fleming was formed to pursue three strands of work: touring theatre, arts projects with Looked After Children and within their local community.

All music for Whitewood & Fleming projects is composed by Tim Fleming unless otherwise stated. We have tried to credit all the significant artists who have worked with us on the following projects, if we have missed anyone off, we sincerely apologise, please let us know and we will ensure you are credited.

Shaking the Trees    1985
An original two-person music hall style show, touring venues in urban & rural Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Humberside and Cumbria.
Devised by Tim & Elaine.   Script by Tony Jones.  Directed by Celia Gore-Booth.
 
Work with children with emotional & behavioural difficulties 1985
Experimental work began in Leeds at:
Springfield Residential School for children with severe emotional and behavioural difficulties.
1988. Hilton Grange Residential School, National Children’s Home.
Cliffe House School, for excluded children with severe emotional and behavioural difficulties.
Elmete Wood School for children with Moderate Learning Difficulties.
1991. Claremont Lodge Residential Unit, National Children’s Home, And at
Breconborough Residential School, Ripon. North Yorkshire.

Whitewood & Fleming move to Brighouse. 1989

The Amazing Flaming Hot Dog Show
Touring Street theatre. 1992 - 1999
Doug and Vern take their redundancy money and think big … an ordinary hot dog van flies up into the air propelled by a giant sausage…..then turns into an amazing sparkly toaster, sending our heroes to heaven.

Devised by Tim & Elaine.
Performed by Tim with Dave Bache, John Flitcroft or Gordon Duffy McGhie.
Designed & made by Andy Plant, Ali Wood, Greville White.
Pyrotechnics designed by David Clough,  Technician Dave Haigh
Directed by Elaine

Dora’s Dangerous Donuts 1996 - 1998
A giant aluminum donut wheels along the street and is blown up by Dora, the hapless worker.

The donut transforms into a three-wheeled motorbike and Dora and crew ride off into the sunset .
Devised by Elaine.   Designed & made by Andy Plant.

The Rainforest. 1990 onwards
Small-scale, one-person family music show which proved to be a great hit, touring locally & nationally for several years. Devised by Tim.  Music by Tim. Song lyrics by Tony Jones. 

The Boatbuilder.  1992 onwards
Small-scale, one-person production.
Written by Heather Sharpe.  Performed by Tim.

Claremont Lodge Residential Unit, Leeds. 1990 - 93
Working with Elaine, Tim, Mary Robson & Georgie Ramseyer, teenagers at risk design and make a relaxation and recovery room for vulnerable young people.
Tim and Peter Croskery work with a team of young people and make two short films Filmakers and Beef.  They all then fly to Portugal on an exchange project creating Lost in Lisbon, which is screened in Lisbon, Capital of Culture 1992.

Elmete Wood Special school for young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties. 1990 - 1995

Take the arts to its heart
Tim & Elaine worked with various artists including, Janet Benham, Andy Burton, Andy Plant & Dave Haigh, to work with staff  to develop a five-year plan to put the arts at the heart of the school, across the curriculum and to involve all staff and pupils in a creative approach to learning. 
Projects included:
The Beehive (giant outdoor installation building with 100 railway sleepers)
The Sundial – mosaic platform and stone carved sundial
Music in the Trees – outdoor musical instruments & stone head carving
The Elmete Carnival –whole school multi-media carnival & procession
Speak For Yourselves – devising and  creating a touring show with pupils, making a school touring theatre group, and touring toi local schools
The Circus – transformation of school into Circus!

The Cry of the Wolf – community song cycle Brighouse. 1997
A community oratorio for winter. 
A six-month long project.
 Intergenerational choir of over 200 local people, musicians and plus soloists from Opera North.
Composed by Tim.  Lyrics by Heather Sharpe.

Songbook - Sing the Year!  Schools music project. 1997
A yearlong composition project with composer and writer resident in four Calderdale schools leading to a series of concerts.  Creation of new songbook & audio CD from each school.
Composed by Tim.  Lyrics Heather Sharpe. Funded by PRS Composers in Education.
CD produced by Tim.

Calderdale Voices Community Choir. 1997
After the success of The Cry of the Wolf, the company initiated this community choir, which ran for five years under the musical direction of Tim. The choir met every week at the Mill.

The Bee Dance. 1997
New short summer song cycle for the choir and percussionists.
Music – Tim. Lyrics – Heather Sharpe

As a result of this, the group of percussionists got together with the company and planned “CalderRhythms! Samba band, who met each week at the Mill in Brighouse. The band also ran for around five years performing all over Yorkshire at Carnivals and events.
Musical Directors, Tim, & Brazilian percussionist, Claudio Kron.

1997 – Funding success.
After a great deal of work on the funding application, the Company secure a major A4E award from Arts Council England, for “Launching the Lower Valley” a wide ranging and ambitious project for the community of Lower Calderdale. This award secured a three-year programme of community music and also specialist work with looked after children in Calderdale.
The project began with awide variety of multi-disciplinary projects in residential units for looked after children in Calderdale. Projects including drama work, performances, room transformations,
making short video films including “All we need is you” a film about the need for Foster Parents. Also - outdoors installations, indoor re-designs, celebrations, bonfires, shadow plays, puppetry and much more besides!
Click Here for more information.

Voices in Time - community Song Cycle. 1998
Community composed song cycle for intergenerational choir, performed outdoors over a summer weekend on the canal side in Brighouse. Featuring professional and amateur performers working alongside CalderRhythms Samba Band, Calderdale Voices Community Choir and the local infant, junior and high schools.

DCM  Drama Club, 1999 – 2000
Drama club for 8 – 12 yr olds at the Mill run by Sue Huggins and Sue Walker.

Face 2 Face oratorio. 1998 –2000
Large-scale community oratorio.
An extraordinary performance staged in three developing modules over two years.  Involving hundreds of participants of all ages collaborating with professional musicians.  Singers, performers, Yorkshire Co-Operatives brass band, samba & junk bands and even featuring real stone carvers.
The Finale took place over a week in Square Chapel Centre for the Arts, Halifax.
Music by Tim
Lyrics Heather Sharp. Directed by Elaine. With contributions from Steve Gumbley, Jane Revett, Sue Walker & James Squire. Nick Meredith, conductor & brass arranger.
Video projections by Navdeep Singh Kandola

Movin’ On. 2000
Another new short song cycle, this time commissioned by the choir for voices and three piece band. Performances at Square Chapel and the Lawrence Batley Theatre.
Music – Tim. Lyrics – Heather Sharpe

Whistlin` Scrap. 1998
One-person touring music show performed by Tim.
Devised by Tim & Elaine.
Directed by Elaine. Written by Heather Sharpe
Designed & made by Andy Plant and Tim

1999 - After the success of the ACE/A4E funded projects for looked after children, Social Services agree to ring fence regular funding for the company to continue to work with Looked After Children, and offer the company a three year service level agreement as a service provider for looked after children. (This agreement has since been renewed twice)

The Fusion Club. 1999/2000
Eclectic and diverse band featuring Inder Goldfinger, tabla.  Avtar Singh Lota, tabla & dhilruba.   Dave Nelson, piano.  Eddie Armitage, electric violin.  Ed Oxley, didgeridoo.  James Squire, saxophone and Tim playing accordion & mandolin. The Fusion club also welcomed guest local musicians into its work.

SiteLines. 1999/2000
There were three strands to this high profile arts project to celebrate the Millennium. 
Music, performance & mosaics.

The composition element produced:
SiteLines Suite. 2000
One world music performance with the local community and The Fusion Club at The Square Chapel, Halifax and the Lawrence Batley Theatre.

The Mosaic element created a permanent mosaic situated at the entrance to Square Chapel Centre for the Arts. Designed and made by members of the local community working under the direction of Elaine, and artist Sarah Frangleton.

2000. Whitewood & Fleming continued their partnership with Youth Music to deliver new music projects in Calderdale and train two apprentices, Sue Walker and James Squire.

Music @ the Mill. 1998/99
Regular music clubs, DJ’ing, gigs & instrumental work

Samba School. 2000/01
One-year residency at Brighouse High School  

Mosaics. 2000/01
Elaine and Sarah Frangleton, working with local people, make mosaics  for The Square Chapel, Halifax and Hebden Bridge Green Centre.

Whistlin’ Scrap. 2000/01
Revival & enhanced music show tours nationally and internationally.  Performed by Tim, Jo King and Chris Davies.

The Greeks. 1999
Touring show
A collaboration with Pentabus Theatre, schools & family performances.
Performed by Sue Huggins. Directed by Elaine.

Stories from the armchair. 2000
Touring show
Music and storytelling show for schools and libraries.  Directed by Elaine.  Performed by Heather Sharpe and James Squire.

ZAP 2K – large scale education project. 2000
Commissioned by Halifax Learning Zone. 
A  six-month long arts festival of coordinated work in twenty-six schools and a series of large scale performances at The Piece Hall and Dean Clough Viaduct Theatre.
Artistic Director Tim.  Project Co-ordinater, Tony Lidington. Administrator, Jan Scott

Due to the sad closure of the Mill complex in Brighouse, the company relocates to The Piece Hall, Halifax 

2001
The Fusion Club continues
Multi-cultural touring band.

Soundings. 2002
a  collaborative world music residency at Bradford University, featuring performances with the University Orchestra.

Walking Paintings  2001/02
Walkabout Street show from an original idea by Steve Gumbley.  Devised & performed by Tim, Steve, Sue Huggins and Jo King.

Music @ the Piece Hall. Halifax. 2000
Writing playing and recording with local teenagers. Live outdoor public performances & in local clubs. Various DJ projects.

Flight Paths.  2001-2003
Three year professional training programme for musicians working in communities.
Programme co-ordinated by Sue Walker, Amy Smith and Adrian Sykes.

All About Us. 2002
A year of intensive music work in Special Schools commissioned by Kirkless Music Service delivered by Sue Walker & Jo King.   Finale performance at the McAlpine Stadium, Huddersfield.

Lee Mount Junior School. 2002
James Squire worked as Musician in Residence for a year putting music at the heart of the curriculum.

Sue Walker is appointed Associate Director.   2002

2003
The company receives a Research Grant from The Carnegie UK Trust, and an Arts Council, England Grants for the Arts Award to develop work in Cumbria.

Who’s sorry now? 2002
Fifteen minute film with intergenerational cast.  Commissioned by Age Concern, for use in schools. Devised & Directed by Tim & Elaine, and filmed on location on Walney Island and in Barrow in Furness.

Youth Music Projects. 2002-2005

Music Travels (Cumbria & West Yorks)
A three-year programme working with Calderdale Children’s Services, Foster Care Associates, Cumbria and The Carnegie UK Trust.
A Music makers award also enabled us to begin a “rock school” type project at the Piece Hall for thirty teenagers, exploring rock music, band work, writing & recording techniques.

This project worked so well, we ran it three times, hence the titles:
Very Impressive 1, 2 & 3!
The project culminated in the production of a Very Impressive CD recorded at Sunny Bank Studios, Ripponden, Halifax.

First steps. 2003/04
 “Treasure Chest” Early Years music workshops  over a year, working with foster carers and looked after children and babies aged 0-5yrs.

This project has produced the Treasure Chest Music Resource Pack, a fantastic music making resource for anyone interested in learning how to make music with the under 5’s. 
Click here for more information.

Steel Pans. 2004
Sue Walker & Amy Smith work with Looked After Children to make steel pan orchestra and they also design and make their own costumes.

Wise up. 2002 - 2005
A regular club for Looked After Children at The Piece Hall.  Activities include music, dance, song writing and recording & steel pans.  Pantomime & mumming plays are produced - all devised & performed by participants.   Six young people over sixteen become apprentices or Trainees; helping to plan and run sessions.   Tim, Sue, Amy, Adrian Sykes, Jake Halls, Tyndale Thomas & Yvonne Shelton work with this group.

The FC Adapters. 2005
Music, songwriting and audio CD recording project in Penrith.  Tim & Robin Gibbons.
For the Foster Care Associates.

From Me to You. 2005
One-to-one therapeutic music work with a vulnerable young person. Kendal.

Cabin Fever. 2003
Outdoor building project.  Commissioned by Welfare State International. Including the making of Bracken Hollow a short adventure film.

Sound explorers. 2003 – 2004.
Devising and delivering music workshops for young people commissioned by Welfare State International

Barrow Music Development Consultancy. 2000-2006
Five-year music strategy for Barrow Local Arts Development Agency.
This resulted in The Music Factory. 2004 – 2006. A three year music project comprising weekly workshops for young people aged 11-16 yrs, at Forum 28 in Barrow-in-Furness. The project also created performances such as the rock opera, “Return of the Soul Stealers”, 2005. Conceived and directed by Tim Fleming, in partnership with Barrow BC.

Forum 28 Adventures in Global Music. 2003
Whitewood & Fleming programme and produce a multicultural music festival in Barrow-in-Furness.

Longline Carnival Opera. 2003-2006
Three-year collaboration with Welfare State International.  This project also produced The Rock in the Sea,  song cycle and Ocean of Sound remix.
Music composed by Tim Fleming, words John Fox.

Celebrate. 2005/06
Collaboration with Soundwave, the Cumbria Youth Music Action Zone – one hundred young people from around the county perform an original composition in Carlisle city centre.

Cradle Song. 2005
Early years music workshops for Soundwave.  Barrow -in-Furness and Millom.
Remember Me. 2006
Documentary film.  Commissioned by Calderdale Social Services with Looked After Children placed Out Of Authority

2006. Whitewood & Fleming relocate to Thwaite Moss, Rusland.     

Embedding Creativity Action Research 2008
Currently working in partnership with Arts Council England, Creative Partnerships and National Children’s Bureau on a national looked after children and creativity Action Research Project. This involves running pilot work with looked after children in Barrow-in-Furness and the company producing a major regional conference in May 2008, Finding the Key.

Finding the Key Conference A regional Cumbrian conference looking at embedding creativity into the lives of our looked after children, and how to fund this work.
Contributions from Cumbria Children’s Services senior managers, Arts Organisations, Artists, Arts Council England, North West, Creative Partnerships and looked after children themselves.

Slave Label DVD
As part of the 2007 Not From Round Here Festival, commemorating the anniversary of the Abolition of Slavery Act, W&F were commissioned by Creative Partnerships, Cumbria, to make a documentary film focusing on ethical trading and current wage slavery.
Year 12 students from Queen Elizabeth School, Kirby Lonsdale created their own production company, Free Unit Productions, and were involved in every aspect of the making of the film. The result is an18-minute film, “Slave Label”

Cambridge Primary School. Year 2
Barrow-in-Furness, September 07 – June 08