Who we are
Founders
Adèle Drake
Co-Founder and Patron
In establishing three Drake Music UK charities, Adèle pioneered the widening of musical possibilities for disabled people through the game-changing use of technology. In 2010, with composer Joel Cahen, Adèle established Liquid Vibrations (now Liquid Listening) and was a trustee until December 2023, when became the charity's Patron.
Joel Cahen
Co-Founder and Artistic Director
Joel specialises in recording and designing sound for film, dance, theatre, radio and art productions. Wet Sounds is Joel’s acclaimed project producing underwater sound installations at swimming pools internationally since 2008. Joel is the creator of We're All Bats, an online and on-site listening arts workshop series.
Practitioners
Helena Eflerová
Aquatic Practitioner
Helena Eflerová is a dedicated professional multidisciplinary artist and aquatic specialist, with over sixteen years’ experience in the arts for health and education industries. She has a proven track record of success, which includes productions, teaching and therapy in the region leading charities. She has created projects for diverse inter-generational and marginalised communities in Universities, Museums, Cathedrals and Galleries in the UK and abroad. She is a founder of HE AQUATICS that offer services of Aquatic Bodywork Flotation Therapy, Aquatic Contact Improvisation Dance, Yoga and Swimming.
Steph Hodgson
Aquatic Therapist and Craniosacral Therapist
Steph's background is in Emergency Nursing, where she worked as a Nurse Practitioner. She learnt there about managing every kind of stress, trauma, illness, and every type of response to these situations. Steph trained in Craniosacral Therapy after experiencing the work while looking after a friend with cancer, and observing the profound effect it had on the whole family. Cranial work taught her about the impact that our experiences have on us throughout our lives, and in particular about how we hold these in our bodies.
Read an article about Steph Hodgson and her pathway into Musical Hydrotherapy here​.
Kamila Janiak
Aquatic Practitioner
Kamila is an aquatic bodyworker. Her work is based on WATSU , Water Dance, and Halliwick concepts. She is a recognized practitioner at the World Aquatic Bodywork Association. Her work balances bodywork and therapy where she explores the natural wisdom of self-healing by dropping into a state of deep relaxation in warm water. She also teaches swimming and works with people who fear the water. She enjoys running workshops for Liquid Listening bringing all her knowledge into disabled schools.
Lawrence Bradshaw
Music Consultant
Lawrence is a passionate music and sound specialist with 12 years of SEND music teaching experience. Always trying to come up with new and exciting ways for children and young adults to access music and thrive with sound, Lawrence currently works as a consultant for Liquid Listening and as a recording studio manager.
Read Lawrence's blog about working in the classroom with Liquid Listening teachers and pupils here.
Staff
Judith Robinson
Executive Director
Judith Robinson is an experienced arts professional with creative flair and a passion for achieving social justice through engagement in the arts, especially music. She was Head of Education at Sound and Music for more than a decade, and alongside her role at Liquid Listening, she now works as a consultant for music and music education organisations, including Southbank Centre, London Sinfonietta and Awards for Young Musicians. Judith is also Chair of the local governing body for Gladstone Park Primary School in Brent, London.
Alice Walton
Marketing and Communications Manager
Alice has more than 20 years’ experience working in arts marketing and audience engagement. She was Marketing Director at the Philharmonia Orchestra for 15 years and Communications Director at Britten Sinfonia from 2018-22, as the orchestra was significantly increasing its commitment to partnership-based work in local education and therapeutic settings. Alongside her role at Liquid Listening, she manages a secondary school wellbeing hub and is an arts marketing consultant.
Trustees
Ian Lush
Chair
Ian Lush began his career as a viola-player in the Iceland Symphony and Royal Liverpool Philharmonic orchestras, before moving into arts management, including as Marketing Director of the Barbican Centre and Managing Director of the London Mozart Players. From 2003-14 he was Chief Executive of the Architectural Heritage Fund, during which time he was also Director of Discovering Places, one of the major projects of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad, and Lead Governor of Great Ormond Street Hospital.
Since 2014 Ian Lush has been Chief Executive of Imperial Health Charity, supporting five hospitals in West London, and from 2020 Chairman of NHS Charities Together. Ian was awarded an OBE for charitable services to the NHS in the 2020 New Year’s Honours’ List.
Mike Bettridge
Trustee
Mike has been a Trustee for Liquid LIstening (and previously, Liquid Vibrations) since 2014. A registered chartered accountant, he provides financial support and advice on a pro bono basis.
Hannah Bujic
Trustee
Currently working freelance, Hannah Bujic has over 18 years’ experience in the charitable arts sector. She started her career as a producer for ensembles and venues including the Philharmonia, Southbank Centre and the London Sinfonietta. As Head of Artist Development for Sound and Music she led the design and delivery of the organisation’s artist programmes, networks and partnerships including the Fair Access Principles, a code of best practice for running inclusive artist development programmes with over 30 organisations signed up to the network across the UK.
Duncan Chapman
Trustee
Duncan is a composer musician based in Lincolnshire UK. Much of his work involves collaborations with a wide range of people creating performances, installations & recordings. He has many years experience of collaborating with music, arts and educational organisations involved in SEND work in the UK and internationally including The British Paraorchestra, the Aural Diversity Network and Casa Da Musica (Porto). He regularly works with musicians from many different musical traditions and is a frequent traveller to festivals and venues around the world.
Lorna Crust
Trustee
Lorna trained as a PE teacher: swimming, and anything to do with being in the water has always been her passion. She has been teaching for over 30 years in special needs schools in the South East and the introduction of musical hydrotherapy has been an amazing addition to the swim programmes she manages.
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Lorna's swim school, Aquakids, celebrates 30 years of delivering inclusive lessons. She is a Swim England Tutor training swim teachers and, also founder of The Virtual Pool, a support network delivering free workshops to teachers.
Clare Smith
Trustee
Clare is a disabled composer and musician with a wealth of experience of working in the charity and arts sector including for Drake Music, as a freelance consultant and as CEO of Sound It Out Community Music.
Janet Tyson
Trustee
Janet is an experienced SME HR Director with more than 20 years’ experience. She has the knowledge and experience of business planning and strategy, people management and organisational development with financial oversight. Known for the ability to challenge and advise and help to reach balanced judgements, she is very adept at listening, empathising, and establishing trusted relationships whilst being skilled and discreet throughout any issues in line with company culture and values.