Bec Fearon, Head of Engagement at the Bluecoat, Liverpool’s centre for the contemporary arts, reveals the people who have inspired her most throughout her career.
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Tim, or Mr Chapman as I knew him then, was my music teacher throughout secondary school. An explosive character with a great sense of humour and an earth-shattering temper, he had an amazing way of making music relevant to virtually everyone using his unique teaching style and choice of repertoire. I’ll always remember our class of thirty 12-year-olds enthusiastically banging out the theme to Eastenders on glockenspiels in perfect synch. I was drawn in immediately and went on to spend an inordinate amount of time in the music department throughout my seven years at the school.
Mr Champan really put music on the map in our school, whilst our concerts and musical theatre productions built up a great reputation throughout the local community. It was as a result of his passion that music was clearly prioritised by the senior management team.
I often think of Mr Chapman when I hear about how the arts have been largely side-lined in the current education climate. My achievements as part of his vision were instrumental in my choice to stick to my guns and pursue a degree in Music at University, so I probably have him to thank for a fulfilling career in the arts. I hope the current situation doesn’t have the opposite effect on the arts leaders of the future.
