Press Release
7 December 2012
IN HARMONY LEEDS LAUNCHED BY OPERA NORTH
EntireLeedsPrimary School discovers it’s on a musical journey
Today, Friday 7 December, saw the launch of In HarmonyLeeds, a new large-scale community development projectusing music, by leading arts organisation Opera North.
In Harmony Leeds aims to help improve the social wellbeing and academic attainment of 350 children in full-time education andreach another 500 members of the wider community, through the skills gained in intensive, community-based music-making and high quality tuition. The project will be delivered at WindmillPrimary School, in the Belle Isle area of South Leeds, from January 2013.
The launch provided an opportunity for all of the children from WindmillPrimary School toattend a special interactive event with the Orchestra of Opera North.It was, for many of the children, the first close encounter with the power of a full orchestra in action. During the launch, they learned about the large-scale educational musical journey upon which they are about to embark. Each child also discovered that they will receive their own musical instrument in the New Year as well as taking part in daily music lessons, choirs and orchestras as part of In Harmony Leeds.
In Harmony Leeds will focus on the children and wider school community of Windmill Primary, aiming to transform aspirations and learning outcomes for children through a programme of high quality music tuition and regular performance opportunities. The school, where 92% of children come from families classified as ‘hard-pressed’ and 70% are eligible for free school meals, was selected through extensive consultation with the Local Authority, based on the potential to create the greatest impact for children and their families.
Rebecca Walsh, education director at Opera North, comments:
“We are so excited about launching In Harmony Leeds with this event today, which really placed the children we’ll be working with at the heart of the action. They have had an exciting, close-up view of an orchestra playing some of the most famous and exhilarating pieces of classical music just for them, including excerpts of works by Britten, Stravinsky, Shostakovich and Saint-Saëns.
“In Harmony Leeds is the first project of its kind to be delivered by an opera company, and singing will be a major part of their day-to-day experience of the project – something that all children can relate to and participate in right from the start. Each child will receive their own musical instrument and learn how to play it, using a model whereby they help each other to improve by playing together, as well as performing with professional musicians.”
Headteacher of Windmill Primary School, Sally Sumpner, said:
“From the moment I learned that In Harmony would be coming to Windmill Primary School, I’ve been so excited to tell all of the children about the project and to let them know what a fantastic experience it is going to be for the whole school. Watching them find out all about the project today, and seeing the orchestra for the first time, has been quite emotional - and this is only the first step. I can’t wait for all the instruments to arrive now so that we can get started properly!”
The pioneering project,one of four new In Harmony community development projects announced in July 2012, will be funded by Arts Council England, the Department for Education and Opera North over three years between 2013 and 2015. It is the first In Harmony project in Yorkshire and the only one nationally that is delivered by an opera company.
All 350 children in WindmillPrimary School will take part in transformational music activities, both within curriculum time and through free extra-curricular activities. From the outset, all Year 1-6 pupils will have the opportunity to play in an orchestra and receive their own instrument. For younger children, the focus will initially be on daily singing activities, which will develop musicianship skills.
Other workshops and outreach activities will range from a community choir to pop-up performances by musicians from the Orchestra of Opera North in shops and living rooms, extending the reach ofIn Harmony Leeds throughout the local community to include adults and older children. Opera North intends to focus on music-making within the family and will also deliver sessions for parents and 0-4 year olds in Windmill Children’s Centre. More than 150 secondary school pupils from the area will also take part.
In Harmony is a national programme in England, based on thehighlysuccessful El Sistema programme of youth orchestras in Venezuela, which aims to inspire and transform the lives of young peoplein deprived communities using the power and disciplines of community-based orchestral music-making.Pilot In Harmony projects in England have previously been delivered in Liverpool, London and Norwich. The project, inspired by the huge success of El Sistema, is chaired by cellist Julian Lloyd-Webber. The desired outcomes for children, in addition to the development of musical skills, are improved wellbeing, self-confidence and social skills, and improved attainment in literacy and numeracy.
To deliver a secure and sustainable future for In Harmony Leeds, beyond the three year funding from Arts Council England and the Department for Education, Opera North is looking to secure long term investment from the private sector and individual philanthropy, as well as the local authority. The Company is delighted to announce that Land Securities and Evans Property Group have already agreed to support the project and is confident other members of the business community inLeeds, together with private donors,will want to join this transformational venture.
Paul Smith, development marketing manager at Land Securities,comments:
“We are delighted to be supporting Opera North’s In Harmony Leeds. Our commitment to the city is not only about delivering the most important retail development in recent years but investing in the young people of Leeds and we are thrilled to be playing our part in the musical journey that the children of Windmill Primary School are about to embark upon.”
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For further information:
Nicola Dempster, Press & PR Manager 0113 223 3526
Hannah Stockton, Press & PR Assistant 0113 223 3528
Julia Gregg, Press Officer 0113 223 3522
Notes to Editors:
In Harmony
In Harmony is a national programme, based on the Venezuelan El Sistema, which aims to inspire and transform the lives of children in deprived communities by using the power and disciplines of community-based orchestral music-making.
DfE and Arts Council England are jointly funding the programme. DfE will invest a total of £1.5 million between 2012 and 2015. This figure will be matched by the Arts Council which will also take a central co-ordinating and development role.
All six In Harmony projects will be encouraged to be entrepreneurial and to inspire other investment to help secure a sustainable longer term future. They will operate within a national evaluation framework to ensure they provide evidence demonstrating how the In Harmony approach can transform the lives of children and their families in areas of deprivation.
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