MEET THE FOUNDERS
Darren Abrahams
Strategic Director
Darren is a singer, coach, trauma therapist, trainer and project leader in the fields of personal, cultural and community development. He performed internationally as an opera singer for 20 years, but now sings a multi-genre repertoire. Darren is co-founder of The Human Hive, trainer and Wellbeing Adviser for Musicians Without Borders and co-director of the One World Orchestra. He is of British / Israeli descent with heritage from Yemen and Eastern Europe.
Jim Pinchen
Artistic Director
Jim is a composer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and vocalist specialising in creating music that draws upon cinematic sounds, digital technologies and is inspired by music from around the world. Jim is also an award-winning TEDx speaker, a consensus building leader who ensures all voices are heard, and a practitioner who specialises in the use of music as a tool to support those living in areas of conflict/post conflict.
Vicki Balaam
Executive Director
A passionate social justice activist, Vicki Balaam founded StopGAP Dance Company, nurturing a revolutionary approach to dance. Over 2 decades, StopGAP grew from its community roots into an internationally touring professional dance company, employing world class dancers who were people with and without disabilities. With a long track record of changemaking within the arts, she produces work that is informed by lived experiences, and considers artist, management and audience safety.
MEET THE ORCHESTRA
Teimuraz Gogitidze
Teimuraz is of Ukrainian / Georgian descent and has played on the drums for more than 20 years. He plays almost all music genres from ballads to metal, he does workshops and drumming team buildings with big companies like Nestle. He has played on the one stage with Guano Apes, Sting… on different festivals like Woodstock, MoldeJazz… Recently he has played in Ukranian bsnd Atmasfera.
Raghad Haddad
Raghad Haddad is an award-winning Syrian Musician who has a degree in music and in (English-Arabic) translation.
She studied viola at the Higher Institute of Music in Damascus, graduating with an excellence degree in 2005. Additionally, over the past 5 years, Raghad has worked closely with Surrey Arts to develop her knowledge and skills as a community musician which has allowed her to use her formidable skills as a musician to help vulnerable children in her new host country, especially those who have also experienced war and displacement.
Liz Ikamba
Liz is a mixed heritage British- Congolese (DRC) singer-songwriter, instrumentalist, visual artist and community facilitator. She is most interested in the cross over between music and the Arts, education, well-being, and community development; working with people from all walks of life, and exploring intercultural and collaborative creative exchange.
Sara Khoroosi
Sara is a Farsi speaker, of Iranian descent. She is a professional musician (Violin, Percussion and Vocals), performing regularly with flamenco-jazz fusion band Clandestino, and recording with a number of contemporary composers. She also works as a music facilitator for vulnerable groups such as unaccompanied asylum seekers, refugees and children with disabilities; often co-leading the role of Musical Director for the award-winning Orchestra of Unlimited Potential and I Speak Music Orchestra.
Floyd C. Konde
Floyd is a freelance videographer and video editor, with 7 years professional experience. He has worked predominantly within the dance sector, most notably with Stopgap Dance Co, producing a number of documentary films and short form social media content, and also as an editor for short films on the film festival market.
Amanda Koser-Gillespie
Amanda Koser-Gillespie is a professional multi-instrumentalist from Pennsylvania, United States currently living in Derry, Northern Ireland playing the tuba, flute, saxophone, and clarinet. Amanda performs regularly as a member of the ensembles: Basork (Balkan-Irish fusion), Seeger Sessions Revival (Americana-folk), Hellas (Greek-Irish fusion), Resonance Trio (free improvisation), and Second Line NI (NOLA styled jazz).
Abraham Moughrabi
Working internationally in music, performing arts, film and media for almost 20 years, Abraham Moughrabi is a multifaceted producer and sound engineer with a passion for collaborative and cross-disciplinary work. He currently co-runs and is the in-house engineer at The Rose Hill arts hub in Brighton, as well as running his own studio and label, Jinn Records. His credits include production/engineering projects for Warner Music, Tru Thoughts, Wah Wah 45s and Swim records, as well as a range of commercial and advertising productions. He is an Arabic and Spanish speaker.
Orli
Orli is a musician, composer and psychotherapist and is currently working in the NHS and as a music tutor. She has worked in the community with young people and adults with complex mental health needs and in secure hospital settings. Orli is passionate about using music to build connections; finding and expressing voice
Valeria Pacific
Valeria Pacific is a Colombian percussionist focusing on the AfroColombian rhythm of bullerengue. She is currently part of several music projects in London including Akolá Tambó, Mul-Kala, WITCHAS!, INELEMENTUM and Stephanie Santiago’s band. She’s also the co-founder of Bullerengue Circle, a collective using bullerengue as a tool for self-awareness and creativity.
Fergus Paton
Fergus Paton is a professional guitarist based in Brighton specialising in Flamenco guitar having studied under the maestros in Andalucía, Spain - the cultural home of flamenco music – and continues to hone his skill as a solo artist, as well as in dance and singing accompaniment.
For nearly three decades, Fergus has been performing in a number of groups as a lead flamenco guitarist, composing and collaborating with other artists on the world stage.
He runs a successful guitar school providing tuition to Primary, Secondary and Higher Education pupils in mainstream, private and community settings.
Sudhi S Pooniyil
Sudhi S Pooniyil is a versatile drummer, percussionist, writer, and a visual artist originally from Kerala, Southern India, currently living in Brighton, UK. He regularly performs with various genres of music (Jazz, Blues, Funk, Cuban, West African, Flamenco, Arabic and Hindustani) around the UK and collaborating with International musical projects in Europe.
Saied Silbak
Saied Silbak is a Palestinian composer and Oud player born in Shafaa`mr, a city located in the lower Galilee of occupied Palestine. He began training in classical piano at the age of four, before moving onto the oud in his early teens in order to delve deep into the nuances at the base of Arabic music. Saied went on to train at the Beit Almusica Conservatoire where he later taught, before studying Music and Psychology at the university of Haifa and then completing his Masters at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, where he is currently based. He has a unique understanding of different types of music, from Arabic, Turkish and Indian to classical Western styles.
Edith WeUtonga
Edith WeUtonga is an award winning musician and actress, ground breaking, cutting edge bassist, singer and songwriter leading her Utonga band. Playing an authentically Zimbabwean sound laced with Shona folk beats and she experiments with some of her favourite World music flavours. Edith is the President of the Zimbabwe Musicians Union and Vice President of the International Federation of Musicians.
Max Wheeler
Max Wheeler is a producer and DJ who has released albums on Gilles’ Peterson’s Brownswood, Tru Thoughts and First Word Records. As half of Anushka he has performed live from Saigon to Siberia via Texas and Berlin with over 10m streams online. He has worked with artists ranging from members of Kraftwerk to Grime Legend Trim, also remixing artists from Snoop Dogg to Gorgon City. Over the last couple of years he has built a healthy online audience with his weekly analog hardware studio jams recorded onto reel to reel tape.
Jo White
Jo is a self-taught accordionist who has been playing contemporary music for european dance for 30 years. She’s influenced by styles from northwest France, Scandinavia and the UK. She has toured extensively, playing original compositions for the “bal folk” scene, leads ensemble workshops for folk musicians and is part of acoustic trio “Fell”. Jo aims to connect with her audience and primarily works as a hospital musician, bringing the joy of music making right to patients' bedsides.
Zangi
Zangi is an award-winning UK-based Kenyan gospel artist who is passionate about expressing his faith through music and describes his sound as Kenglish!
After getting married and moving to the UK, Zangi continued with his passion of song writing, recording and performing as a solo artist. He has won and been nominated for many awards including ‘Male Artist of the Year’ from SAUTI Awards in Atlanta Georgia USA. Alongside this Zangi is passionate about empowering and supporting other upcoming artists.
Most recently Zangi and his friends established ‘The Root’ a registered charity in Kenya and UK that aims to empower people to bring about positive change in their local community.