In the early months of 2023, Live Music Now Scotland started a collaboration with Mexico-based PRISMA, a fantastic organisation which was founded by former LMNS musician Morgan Szymanski.
With generous support from the British Mexican Society, this collaboration resulted in inviting one musician from LMNS to offer workshops and concerts in Mexico during October/November 2023. Following an open call to LMNS violinists, Roo Geddes was successful in his application.
During his time in Mexico, Roo delivered workshops and a diverse range of performances to children in schools and orphanages in remote areas, as well as to local communities that normally wouldn’t have access to live music.
About PRISMA
Morgan is an alumnus of LMN, having first been part of the scheme in Edinburgh while studying at Broughton High School National Centre for Music in 1996. He then went on to join LMN in London and performed over 100 concerts, including LMNS’ 25th Anniversary Celebration.
When returning home to live in Mexico, Morgan missed working with Live Music Now and when discovering that no such scheme existed in his country, he started PRISMA, based on the model of LMN, and with great support from LMNS Director Carol Main.
PRISMA began very small-scale, with Morgan Szymanski being the organisation’s only musician, delivering all the workshops himself, often in remote areas where access to live music is rare. But his work in schools caught the attention of the Mexican Government and with backing from the authorities, the programme expanded exponentially. PRISMA now incorporates other art forms as well as music, such as dance and drama, and additionally organises two festivals per year. To date over 17,000 children have attended PRISMA workshops.
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Roo Geddes and Morgan Szymanski. Roo Geddes leading a workshop.
Photos by Camila-Verswyvel.