25 October 2025 is HMDT Music’s 30th Birthday!

We’re extremely proud to share our achievements over the past 30 years and celebrate our success in developing award-winning projects that have had a transformational impact on so many people.

Over the next few weeks we will be sharing a Retrospective of some of our ground-breaking projects and experiences here and on our social media.

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Over the past three decades we have:

  • Worked with over 60,000 participants and reached around 100,000 audience members;

  • Commissioned and performed over 130 new works;

  • Received 3 national awards, 7 smaller ones and numerous nominations;

  • Worked with over 600 schools;

  • Delivered over 150,000 workshops, lessons, rehearsals and group sessions;

  • Given over 2,000 performances;

  • Worked in 7 custody settings and with over 15 YOTs, Probations and PRUs;

  • Worked with over 150 partners in 17 different counties of England, over 15 London boroughs and 5 countries.

Throughout, we have maintained our commitment to artistic excellence, innovation, community and inclusivity in our mission to offering all young people, particularly those most disadvantaged, inspiring opportunities to enrich learning and transform lives.

Our thanks go to all the amazing funders, supporters, partners, artists, teachers, volunteers, staff and of course participants, who have helped us on our journey and enabled us to continue thriving despite the plethora of challenges facing arts organisations that we have overcome and continue to face.

Thank you!

Tertia Sefton-Green
CEO

HMDT Music 30th Birthday

The first story in our 30th Anniversary Retrospective celebrates  #BlackHistoryMonth with Shadowball 

In a time of segregation, when jazz and baseball flourished, a courageous group of men struggled to achieve their dream despite the odds…

To find out more about this ground-breaking project visit the Shadowball website
Or watch the story behind Shadowball on Vimeo

Shadowball

2010-12

Primary School jazz opera about segregated black baseball players in the 1930s. With a baseball project and education resources. National Tour 2012

HMDT Music 30th Birthday

We continue our 30th Anniversary Retrospective with our first commission The Hackney Chronicles. 

In essence an opera for children, by children, The Hackney Chronicles charts four periods of Hackney's history to support curricular learning: a living, breathing, all singing example of how music is actively bringing a multi-cultural and diverse community together, creating a greater understanding of its present by celebrating its past in song.

2001

Touring opera for primary schools to perform celebrating four periods of Hackney’s history. Includes cross-curricular resources.

To find out more about this ground-breaking project visit the 30th Birthday page for The Hackney Chronicles