Innovative music project launches in Telford
An innovative project to introduce and encourage young people to learn and make music together will be launched in Telford.
Telford & Wrekin Council will launch the In Harmony Project at Phoenix School in Dawley between 10am and 2pm.
Telford and Wrekin Music is one of four organisations nationwide chosen to deliver an In Harmony project, bringing the total of such projects to six.
The £575,000 awarded by Arts Council England and the Department for Education will be used by Telford and Wrekin Music to work over the next two and a half years with the Old Park Primary School in Malinslee and Heron Cross Primary School in Stoke on Trent.
The launch will introduce around 200 children from the Phoenix’s feeder primary schools to musical instruments, working with The Army Air Corps Band - which has earned a reputation for musical excellence playing at high profile events around the world.
The In Harmony project will be run by Telford and Wrekin Music in conjunction with partners such as the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Manchester Camerata, Staffordshire Performing Arts and Stoke on Trent Music Service.
In Harmony is based on the inspirational principles of Venezuela’s “El Sistema” founded by Jose Antonio Abreu, whose aim was to inspire and transform the lives of children in poorer communities through the power of music.
The concept is to establish music within communities involving children and their families in the formation of a community based orchestra.
As part of the In Harmony project, Telford & Wrekin Council is looking for donations of musical instruments to help give all children and young people the opportunity for access to music lessons and performing.
Anyone who has an instrument gathering dust that is not being used which they would like to donate can drop it off at Oakengates Theatre @ The Place.
Councillor Paul Watling, cabinet member for Children Young People and Families, said: “The In Harmony project is designed to provide opportunities to the hardest to reach children and young people.
“It will give them access to music lessons and opportunities to perform.
“Children who have taken part in similar projects have been shown to have a greater respect for their communities.
“The launch is taking part at the Phoenix School to ensure that the broader Dawley Learning Community – which the Old Park Primary is part of – benefits from the investment.”
