Your journey in the creative arts begins here - See what we have to offer
We are a Music, Arts and Sport Community Organisation that runs classes, clubs, activities and events. Based in York UK, we operate from our two sites: The Centre@Burnholme which houses Tang Hall Explore library and cafe, as well as other community providers. Our suite of rooms at The Centre includes: classrooms/rehearsal rooms, a workshop, and a recording studio. The White Rooms a collection of rehearsal rooms and recording studio in Osbaldwick!
We offer creative and personalised learning programmes for young people with an Educational Health Care Plan (EHCP) as well as creative clubs, classes and programmes for people who have struggled with mental health, homelessness and/or addiction. We also work with adults who have additional needs.
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Welcome to Tang Hall SMART
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One person’s success is everyone’s celebration
We are a community music and arts company based in Tang Hall, York.
Our History
We have come a long way since 2014 when Sue and Al Williamson set up Tang Hall SMART in the grounds of the recently closed Burnholme Community College, the secondary school where Sue had taught for 20 years.
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Our early story is well documented here in the blogs and articles we published during our first 5 years. It is an interesting read for anyone who wants to know how we developed into what we are today, and how we grew from a small group of 3 staff to 30, and how we started to add more and more to our weekly schedule.
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Tang Hall SMART in 2024 is in many ways a rather different organisation. We now deliver several accredited educational courses in music, sport and the arts, and we work with a wider range of people, many of whom are experiencing barriers such as poor mental health, learning disabilites, homelessness, or addiction. In other ways we are the same. We have the same focus on respect, support and empowerment, we still run our community clubs, and we still take every chance we can to hold a concert!
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The staff at THS are an amazingly talented bunch of professionals. They have a 'you bet you can' attitude - encouraging, supportive & passionate.
Our Opportunities
From September 2024, we have our biggest ever cohort of students and adult participants, studying a wide range of music and arts programmes. We have also started our first accredited sports pathway. Alongside this we also offer adults with additional needs the chance to express themselves and develop their creativity through our social care funded creative programmes.
We are able to offer amazing opportunities to our people. In the past we have performed at prestigious venues such as York Barbican, Fibbers and Theatre 41. We are passionate about offering real life creative experiences that can help to boost confidence or give a taste of the real life music industry. We also regularly hold our own concerts at our Burnholme site. We have successfully ran Music in the Cafe for the past two years and can now offer regular music events in the hall on our site for bands and performers to show their stuff.
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'It was because of the dedicated team at Tang Hall SMART that our son's life turned around'
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Our Vision and Future
Our accredited educational programmes are increasing with the advent of Drama at Level 3, and accredited sport, initially at Level 1, but with the intention of including Level 2 the year after.
We live and breathe concerts, so it isn't hard to predict that these will continue to be the wonderful events they are, and one of our main trademarks. We are a creative, expressive, imaginative, inventive body of people, and whatever we do, it is sure to be done with style. But we are also a vibrant, diverse, ethical, resilient and inclusive organization, concerning ourselves with more than just our own delivery, but looking city-wide, even nationally and wondering about the big questions that face everyone.
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Our roots are in Tang Hall and have extended to the wider community.
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Our values relate to all our students, staff and supporters
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Our belief in relationships and mutual respect promote wellbeing. Personal development underpins everything we do
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Our work is person centered, responsive and positive.
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We believe in recognising talent and achievement and use accreditation and performance of a way of structuring this.
I feel super proud to work with such a talented bunch and to know that every day I go to work I am making a small contribution to the positive outcome of peoples lives.