The Able Orchestra team

Rebecca Streets, Inspire Youth Arts Manager

Megan Dawes, Creative Producer

Tom Shawcroft – AO North Ensemble Musical Director

Tom is a music artist, consultant, and practitioner with experience in songwriting, music production and sound design. Since 2018, he has delivered music sessions to young people and adults across a range of organisations including Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire County Council, Children in Care Council, YMCA and Inspire Youth Arts. He successfully secured a Developing Your Creative Practice (DYCP) grant from Arts Council England to develop an album using accessible midi instruments, such as the Digit CMPSR. He has been creating his own music since he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes as a teenager, using music primarily as a coping mechanism and has since released 4 albums. Tom is passionate about access to high quality music for all and exploring music as a form of expression.

Ben Trekkah – AO South Ensemble Musical Director

Trekkah Benjamin (Benjamin Ziec) is a musician, producer, DJ, sonic artist, and community arts practitioner from Nottingham. Throughout the years he has been known for his work in many art forms, musical genres, and creative settings. Co-founder of community arts organisation Nottingham C.A.N and two Nottingham-based events &record labels Phlexx Records and T.O.N.E.S, over the years Trekkah has curated and performed on stages throughout the UK and Europe. All of Trekkah's work is unpinned with a strong sense of creative community collaboration something the artist believes is essential to cultivate a healthy environment for sustained art practice. 

Tom Bacon – Taster/School Delivery Artist 

Tom is an Inspire Youth Arts music artist, focused on creating and delivering inclusive digital music sessions. He facilitates regular weekly sessions across SEND schools and colleges, creating environments where young people collaboratively compose and perform music, fostering creativity and expression. As part of his role, Tom contributes to the Able Orchestra project, delivering taster sessions and encouraging new participants to explore music making. Tom also co-delivers Inspire Youth Arts Rock School, supporting young musicians to form bands and write, record and perform original tracks. Tom has a broad experience of the music industry, as a performer in bands, stage manager and composer, including music for advertisements. His skills and knowledge of the industry enable him to offer multifaceted insights and guidance in his workshops.

Natasha Poland – AO Ensembles Digital Creative 

Natasha is a freelance animator and illustrator. She provides creative services for businesses, charities, community groups and individuals – including 2D animation for film, social media, events and projection-mapping; illustration, storyboards, comics, concept art and character design; visual arts and music workshop facilitation, branding, marketing and print design, and more. Natasha has experience working in schools and community settings and is also a musician with experience of delivering music workshops and digital music making. 

Zoe Shum – AO Ensembles Digital Creative 

Zoe is a Hong Kong-born visual designer, filmmaker and artist, with a background in fine art. She works with multimedia to tell contemporary stories through accessible and engaging digital mediums, ranging from animation to immersive installation. She holds a Masters in Digital Direction from the Royal College of Art, London. Her short films, exploring important lived experiences and histories, have screened at BAFTA and BIFA qualifying festivals. Zoe is also a musician and musical director outside of her work with AO, and has experience of arranging, musical theatre, piano and singing.

Kris Halpin and Nicci Halpin

Dyskinetic is part band, part inclusion strategy. Lead by husband & wife duo Kris & Nicci Halpin, Dyskinetic happens at the intersection between Music, Technology and Disability. Making music that brings together Electronic, Classical and Modern Metal influences, Dyskinetic have been widely celebrated for their innovative sound and technologies. Through their experience as Disabled and Neurodivergent artists, Dyskinetic create inclusive artistic works that amplify Disabled voices at the cutting edge of inclusive technology. 

Dyskinetic partners with a wide range of organisations to deliver inclusive opportunities for a new generation of Disabled musicians. In 2023 Dyskinetic began partnering with IYA as Lead Artist & Mentors to Able Orchestra. 

Dyskinetic’s first major work with AO - Between Worlds - premiered at Music Mark 2024. They have also provided Disability Inclusion strategy consultation to a wide range of brands, including Spotify, Apple and Ableton. Kris was named a Future Sound of Britain Trailblazer at the BRIT Awards 2024.

Natalie Morrison – AO Ensemble North Support Artist 

Natalie is a Health and Care Professions Council registered music therapist and a qualified primary school teacher. She currently works as a music therapist with children and young adults with Special Educational Needs and Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities in a 

range of settings including schools, day centres and client homes. Natalie plays the keyboard and piano and has experience of playing the keyboard at churches, weddings, concerts, christenings and to accompany gospel choirs and singers. In addition to working as a music therapist, Natalie has experience of presenting her music therapy work at online conferences and delivering training on culturally sensitive music therapy. Natalie supports the AO North Ensemble sessions at Portland College on Wednesday evenings. Natalie's main highlight since she began supporting the ensemble is witnessing the joy experienced by participants as they explore accessible digital music creation. 

Catherine Smith – AO Ensemble South Support Artist 

Catherine (she/her) is a music teacher and freelance performer based in the Midlands. She has taught in many different settings, delivering private woodwind lessons, whole class instrumental learning, and early years music programmes. Catherine performs regularly in shows and enjoys playing bass clarinet in Blackwood Clarinet Ensemble and Nottingham Symphonic Wind Orchestra. Catherine studied Music Performance on the clarinet at Trinity Laban Conservatoire, and also enjoyed developing her skills in doubling on Flute and Saxophone. In her youth, she enjoyed choral singing, performing with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Youth Chorus and the BBC Proms Youth Chorus for several years. 

Catherine currently delivers music lessons full time and is excited to join Able Orchestra South Ensemble as a Support Artist. She is passionate about inclusive music sessions and access to music for all. 

Jaysika Dennis - AO Marketing and Communications Lead

Jaysika is a CIM qualified freelance marketing and communications specialist with extensive experience across the creative, charitable, and education sectors. She is passionate about making the arts accessible and inclusive, and brings her skills in strategic planning, engagement, and digital marketing to the AO team.

Nell Farally – AO Evaluator 

Nell Farrally is a freelance evaluator and researcher specialising in music education, community music and participatory/community arts. Her work ranges from small music making projects in local youth centres to programmes with a national reach for large arts organisations’ learning and participation teams. Prior to specialising in evaluation and research, Nell worked in arts management and development roles focusing on community and participatory arts for children and young people, and as a music facilitator in early childhood education settings. 

Nell has played the violin with several folk bands, in addition to piano and accordion for fun. 

Nell has a Bachelor of Music degree (University of Huddersfield), MSc in Social Research and Evaluation (University of Huddersfield) and a Diploma in Applied Health Studies (University of the West of England). She is currently studying part-time for a PhD at Bath Spa University researching evaluation practices in community music, which she hopes to complete soon.