South West

Prep for the Collective's launch at Bristol Harbour Festival 

At the end of our first year of Open School Orchestras (OSO) in Cornwall, we've been thinking about next steps, and how to create progression routes for young SEN/D musicians. We created a short pilot project to explore the idea of inviting mainstream musicians to join the OSO in creative music workshops - integration following on from inclusion work. The short films below show the final performance, and discussion around how to build on the pilot, creating pathways through creative ensembles for those wanting to take their music further, beyond the classroom.

The Open School Orchestra (OSO) programme has been well-thought-out, having been developed by OpenUp Music over many years. There are aspects to this which mean it has sustainability and ongoing development built in from the start. Having worked on some inclusion projects where lots of good work happens, but it fizzles out in the setting after the end of the project, it's worth noting and learning from how the OSO format increases the chances for sustainability.

The film below gives an idea of the impact that the Open School Orchestra project has had in Cornwall. It has been a turning point in raising aspirations for the participants, the schools, and for what young disabled musicians in Cornwall can achieve, by giving their music a platform on Cornwall's biggest stage in front of an audience of almost 1,000.

As we reach the end of the first year of Open School Orchestras in Cornwall, its time for some reflection on the journey so far. The project has seen the first Open School Orchestras (OSO) start in Cornwall for young people with special educational needs or disabilities. The short film below gives some insight into the effect the project has had on one individual - a remarkable musician with autism who has found a voice through music.

As part of Daisi’s MusicStart project, funded by Youth Music, we produced resources in the form of a series of 18 short film clips: vimeopro.com/user29675546/daisi-cpd

Update on our latest XLR Collective session.

XLR Weekly Session 3/7/17

Plymouth Music Zone puts people centre stage and becomes the first UK arts organisation to gain the latest Gold standard Investors in People award. 

Session 9 - June 2017

Princetown Youth Club is a rurally isolated Provision where music has become a feature that brings community together both within the project and the wider village. Here we look at the value of music in terms of personal, group and community development and the larger social and cultural impacts that this brings.