The crushing disappointment experienced by all within the baseball and softball community of the two sports\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 removal from the Olympic tournament prior to the 2012 London Games will only increase as the big event gets nearer.\u00c2\u00a0 However, baseball will not be completely absent from the Olympic experience in the UK thanks to an innovative new baseball project by the Hackney Music Development which has been awarded the highly coveted ‘Inspire Mark’ by the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.<\/p>\n
Shadowball is a new Jazz Opera, by composer Julian Joseph and author Mike Phllips, about Black Baseball players linked to a sports programme for primary schools, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153using the arts both as a learning tool for other areas of the curriculum, and to stimulate interest in baseball\u00e2\u20ac\u009d.<\/p>\n
The opera itself premieres at The Mermaid Conference Events Centre in London on 29 and 30 June.\u00c2\u00a0 It tells the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153moving and compelling story of the struggles, triumphs and challenges facing black athletes in the USA during the sixty years they were excluded from playing with the Major Leagues. It also recounts the influence and development of black jazz music at the time\u00e2\u20ac\u009d.<\/p>\n
The impact that baseball had on the Civil Rights movement, through the Negro Leagues and the \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcbreaking of the color line\u00e2\u20ac\u009d in MLB,\u00c2\u00a0 is well known in the States.\u00c2\u00a0 It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s an important and compelling story that deserves to be told more widely and this project looks set to do that in a very creative and powerful way.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Shadowball’s extensive educational programme includes workshops with Julian Joseph for children to develop their composition skills as well as baseball training. Following the June performances the project will be extended to more schools and including artistic residencies, in-school performances and a range of baseball activities. The creative team, which includes composer Julian Joseph, writer Mike Phillips, award winning opera director Jonathan Moore, Cleveland Watkiss and designer Neil Irish, has been working alongside Baseball\/Softball UK to introduce hundreds of young people in over 20 schools to the sport and music<\/p>\n
The Shadowball legacy also includes the provision of baseball as a schools’ community sport and plans are already underway to create Borough Leagues\u00e2\u20ac\u009d.<\/p>\n
MLB International have also pledged their support to the project:<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Major League Baseball is proud to support HMDT\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Shadowball programme and its aim to get children actively involved in playing baseball while educating them on the history of the sport through music. The sport of baseball has a rich history of breaking down racial barriers, and Major League Baseball believes HDMT\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s creative approach in both combating racism and stimulating interest in baseball will be an effective and fun way for the community to become involved in the sport\u00e2\u20ac\u009d.<\/p>\n
It really is heart-warming to learn of such an incredible project.\u00c2\u00a0 Baseball has a long tradition of bringing communities together in the States and Shadowball shows how this can travel across the pond and be just as relevant and inspirational here in the UK.<\/p>\n