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Hazel was the first ever volunteer at Bloco and Board Member. Fast forward she is now a Freelance Broadcast Sound Technician/Engineer, operating in Studio and Outside Broadcasts (meaning sporting events or reality shows). This means she is part of the crew that sets up what/how you hear for the shows you watch.

I believe I joined the Bloco the year before Echo of Palmares, in 2002. Lovely Andy and our wonderful Mr Fox were the cool instrument teachers at my school. Mr Fox gave me a spare Alto Sax and invited me to watch him and this Bloco he was forming, during their first Thames Festival performance. Being a keen music student, the following year, I decided to leave my summer school at The Royal Academy of Music, and join the Bloco the following year, and haven’t regretted it since!

I genuinely have many favourite memories from my time at the Bloco, from the giant cushioned areas at Barge House with beautiful silks covering the holes in the walls and ceilings, our amazing giant puppets, the vibes of getting ready for a gig, playing in the iconic Notting Hill Carnival (which was especially delightful for me as I actually grew up in the area, and seeing the union of Steve and Pam at Paddington Arts with Mat, Tamzyn and the team was really full circle for me), nearly being snowed in at our first ever leadership/mentoring training in Kent, sewing lights in to costumes on the train during the riots whilst people stayed home to keep safe, to the absolute privilege of saying I have played saxophone on The Great Wall of China!! 

Some of those memories may sound traumatic, however, they were not. They taught me to see beauty in anything and anyone, finding YOUR community is the key to happiness, being helpful and helping others no matter of your abilities is a skill to treasure, share and a great education. These memories also remind me that creative expression in all forms is important for the soul and a great uniting force globally. 

I would say these experiences have shaped the type of work I do, and how I approach it. I feel confident in being unconventional, and stay open minded to all opportunities, including being one of the first ‘Young Leader’s’ in the Bloco, and working in the office. 

Being a young leader really encouraged me to instill that caring, family vibe we have in the Bloco, and taught me how important it is to nurture and maintain that attitude throughout. 

 An experience that made me want to take on the role, was, taking some extra time out one on one, with a shy, new trumpet player named Sheila (M-G) to give her space and validation that she WAS able to play all the music we were learning, extremely well (surprise, surprise!), back in the Charles Edward Brooke days. 

Another way I cherished being a Young Leader was taking some time out with Cesare ‘Don C.’ on the Southbank one day, and dictating, whilst he philosophised how he felt about life in the Bloco. I was so touched by his perspective and passion that, Tamzyn and Mat printed his words, and we had them up for all to see during the rest of Summer school. It’s a genuine privilege to witness young people find confidence to express their true selves. I also loved when us Young Leaders were responsible for doing taster workshops in schools, because who doesn’t love playing a good game of Zip, Zap, Boing! or Seven Up!!

Getting to work in the office gave me such a unique perspective, and HUGE appreciation for all the work that goes on behind the scenes in organising our gigs and running vital sessions to keep us on point. I also got to do a stint at producing a couple of newsletters, which was fun and taught me new skills. 

What does Kinetika Bloco mean to me?  Love, passion, resilience, adaptability and determination, all characteristics I try and utilise in my life daily.