The first disabled-led regional youth orchestra in the UK
OpenUp Music is excited to announce the formation of the ‘South-West Open Youth Orchestra’ – the UK’s first disabled-led regional youth orchestra. Launching in September 2015, the South-West Open Youth Orchestra aims to plug a significant gap in provision for young disabled musicians who want to take their ensemble music making to the next level.
We know that opportunities for SEN/Disabled young people to play and perform in orchestras and ensembles are lacking, this despite the aspirations of the National Plan for Music Education to realise “equality of opportunity for all pupils” including “opportunities to play in ensembles and to perform”. A 2014 report by the Association of British Orchestras identified 1,240 UK youth ensembles, but none of these make provision for young disabled people. And NFER research on Music Education Hubs in 2014 found that “pupils with SEN are considerably under-represented among those participating in ensembles.”
OpenUp Music has already has already established six Open School Orchestras at South West SEN schools since 2013, with more on the way. But how can young disabled musicians progress beyond school? We asked our school orchestra members if they "would like playing music to be part of their future?" 100% of respondents said “yes”. Unfortunately their teachers also told us they weren’t aware of any opportunities for these young people to progress in playing music.
The first round of auditions for the South West Open Youth Orchestra will take place in Bristol on 5th September 2015, with further dates to be added at other venues in the South-West of England. The Orchestra aims to provide a progression route for aspiring young musicians who:
- Are disabled either by conventional orchestras, musical instruments or musical repertoire
- Want to perform music at the highest level
- Would benefit from developing further as musical performers in an ensemble that works creatively from the identities and needs of disabled people
- Use either music technology or conventional instruments
- Are aged 11 – 25
- Live or study in the South-West of England
We’re looking for young people who can demonstrate musical passion, potential and perseverance. Regular rehearsals will take place at venues around the South-West throughout 2015/16, with a residential at the National Star College in the Easter holidays 2016. Orchestra members will also have the opportunity to co-design an instrument with OpenUp Music, which they can then take home to practice on. And, in addition to young disabled musicians, we will also recruit non-disabled young musicians early in 2016 to make this a truly inclusive orchestra.
The process of finding and recruiting young disabled musicians for this orchestra has so far been difficult. It seems that, unlike the world of disabled sport which received a ‘shot in the arm’ from the 2012 Paralympics, there’s a real poverty of aspiration around disabled music-making. Most people outside of our existing network of partners just don’t seem to get the idea of a regional orchestra for young disabled musicians. So we’re in a chicken / egg situation where there’s a clear need to create an orchestra that can raise aspirations, but first we have to find the musicians in a climate where not many are coming forward because few people seem to imagine that such a thing is possible. I find it very hard to believe that in the South West of England there aren’t 15 or 20 superb young disabled musicians whose talent can change the way the rest of us think about music, disability and the idea of what an Orchestra is now, and can be in the future.
A high profile South West Open Youth Orchestra concert is already booked for the summer 2016 Fast Forward Music Festival in Bristol, with other performances in the planning stages. So what we need right now is:
- For young disabled musicians, or their parents, carers, teachers / others working with them, to register their interest with us via email: info@openupmusic.org We will then get in touch to find out more.
- For organisations and individuals (e.g. Music Hubs, schools, arts organisations etc.) either to flag up this opportunity to young disabled musicians themselves, or else pass on this information to other organisations / individuals who might know potential candidates - “If you don’t know anyone, who do you know that might know someone?”
Our performance with members of the British Paraorchestra and Bristol Youth Choir on BBC Music Day 2015 gave a small glimpse of what is possible, with Bradley Warwick leading 200 musicians playing the iconic Pachelbel’s Canon bass line on an Eye-Gaze instrument created by OpenUp Music...