Valentine Voice Care

Being a professional singer, Kate Valentine empathised with the challenges faced by voice artists dealing with vocal injuries or fatigue. Having experienced a vocal injury herself, she understands the physical and mental challenges of rebuilding oneself after such trauma. Whether individuals use their voice for their livelihood or as a personal pursuit, it forms a significant part of their identity. Losing it not only results in a profound sense of loss but also leads to feelings of isolation.

“I had to reconstruct myself entirely following vocal cord surgery to resume singing, so I understand firsthand the difficulties artists face in such situations. I wanted to spare others from similar journeys and establish a space to support voice maintenance, enabling them to continue pursuing their passion. For many, their livelihoods hinge on the well-being of their voices, making the stakes incredibly high.”

Voice Haven

Established within The Old Coach House on Castle Ditch Lane in Lewes, Valentine Voice Care now houses a team of 15 practitioners specializing in various disciplines, all dedicated to enhancing and rehabilitating the voice. Pioneering as the first centre of its kind, its mission extends beyond uniting the entertainment community to providing a sanctuary where users can practice, refine skills, and, most importantly, find rest.

Functioning as a comprehensive support hub, the centre offers physical therapy through singing teachers, singing voice rehabilitation specialists, vocal massage, osteopathy, voice and speech therapists, and a Feldenkrais practitioner. Additionally, it addresses psychological aspects by providing vocal health triage, a nutritionist, performance psychologist, life coach, and a counsellor. Kate and her team, many of whom are performers themselves, acknowledge the intrinsic psychological connection to voice, adopting a person-centered, holistic approach to ensure comprehensive coverage and accessibility of all necessary services under one roof.

“Most of our clients are professional voice users, including singers, actors, presenters, and voiceover artists. However, we also cater to other professionals like teachers and barristers. Essentially, we can assist anyone whose job depends on their voice, which, in reality, encompasses most individuals.

Sometimes people might not necessarily know all the combinations of things that they need, but if they’re already someplace where they feel safe and supported, they’re much more likely to reach out to another professional. I’m hoping that by being so visible and all being seen as part of a team that our clients will feel much more confident to reach out to ask for the help that they need.”

Choosing Lewes

Kate has always had a strong connection to Lewes. Her first job as singer was in the chorus of Glyndebourne, and as her career progressed, so did her performances there, revisiting as a chorister, and then principal artist. They have followed and supported her through every step of her career, even sponsoring her to study at the National Opera Studio in London.

Lewes is just such an interesting melting pot because it’s the closest place to Glyndebourne, but it also has a kind of funky artistic community. There’s lots of people in our industry such as actors, presenters, voiceover artists and classical musicians but there are also lots of people in connected industries who use Lewes as a base. Locally we have quite a few amateur groups too, people who might be a lawyer by day, but be part of some kind of choir in the evenings. Of all the places, I felt Lewes would be the place this could really work.”

Reaching the Pinnacle

Embarking on this new endeavour was no easy task, demanding financial support, guidance, and a considerable investment of time and energy. Kate has unequivocally poured her heart and soul into this project, simultaneously managing the renovation of the space and promoting the centre while holding down a full-time job. After securing a loan to kickstart the initiative, she found herself lacking the time needed to focus on planning for the centre’s future expansion and development. Upon learning from a friend about a support program benefiting businesses in East Sussex, Kate reached out to Locate East Sussex. Collaborating with Business Manager Emily Wright, Kate discussed her ambitious plans for the centre’s growth, exploring strategies to rapidly disseminate information within the community and identifying potential avenues for future funding.

“Emily was absolutely brilliant. When she came to visit my feet had barely touched the ground, but she gave me some excellent advice, making recommendations on how we could further improve, and how we could involve the local community more in the space.”