New collaboration in schools
The Headteacher of Townley Grammer Secondary school presented some interesting new figures on student interaction at Bexley Music Hub. The numbers indicate that there is a signifcant divide in choices for extra curricular activity based on the young people's ethnicity and social background. The divide was present in music, as it was in the sports and arts.
The question raised was 'Why does this happen?' and 'Is it to do with the projects we programme?'
Project Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLqJFYCkqM0
The Headteacher of Townley Grammer Secondary school presented some interesting new figures on student interaction at Bexley Music Hub. The numbers indicate that there is a signifcant divide in choices for extra curricular activity based on the young people's ethnicity and social background (based on free school meals). This divide was present in music, just like sports and arts. When these findings were presented it raised interesting discussions around project marketing, the recruited music leaders and the project environment.
The Headteacher gave active fugures for Bexley's school orchestras being predominatly White British and vocal ensembles/ choirs being more mixed, but predominantly students from a BME background.
Based on the findings above, South East/ Outer London’s creative music making project ‘ArtsTrain’ and Bexley Music Education Hub devised and delivered a range of 10 week creative music making projects across the Bexley borough. One of these projects was held at Townley Grammar School which was part of the larger Sub Urban Orchestra (SUO) programme which is lead by ‘London’s Jazz Instrumentalist of the Year’ Arun Ghosh.
The project was prgrammed directly after school and sessions were held in a regular drama classroom. This space was chosen because it is a neutral space, open to all young people regardless of whether they study music at KS4. The selected music leaders were from different musical and social backgrounds and were recruited based on their passion and experience of delivering creative music-making projects.
The 10 week project at Townley involved a range of creative music-making workshops where the young people have been learning new skills in; composition, improvisation and songwriting. They have successfully written, performed and recorded an original collaborative piece of music. The project was lead by ideas from the young people themselves and the theme they decided to explore was ‘Diversity’.
The participants from the creative workshops were also invited to take part in a holiday based intensive workshop programme as part of a new band called the ‘Sub Urban Orchestra’. Four of the Townley students attended these workshops and these young people performed at the Royal Festival Hall.
Talking Numbers
13 young people engaged
64% from a BME background
4 young people attended the Sub Urban Orchestra holiday programmes
1 original piece of music written, performed and recorded.
20 hours of creative music education delivered
Student’s Voice
'I wouldn't have had the confidence to go along to the Sub Urban Orchestra without this project, as I wouldn't want to go along by myself, but I have met other young people who also love music and I was able to go with them and participate'.
‘Be who you are, don’t be afraid, the light in you will never fade’ (Song lyrics)