Sooree Pillay, Regional Producer - Midlands on how our Horizons project is supporting the primary to secondary transition in music education.

Can music have a role in building self-confidence and fostering collective creativity in children transitioning from primary to secondary school?

How can it play a part in fostering a sense of belonging and providing aspirational role models?

These are the questions we had in mind when we began working with schools in Ollerton, North Nottinghamshire in 2022.

How Horizons started and has evolved

The Horizons project, now in its second year, works with whole class instrumental groups at Forest View Primary Academy and Parkgate Academy, as well as young musicians at The Dukeries Academy.

When we first spoke to The Dukeries Academy in Ollerton, North Nottinghamshire, the school was facing some challenges in music provision. As we understood it, their fantastic music lead had moved on, leaving a void, and, as a result, little or no provision for the students. As the conversations progressed, however, we found a few more exciting prospects in this former mining area of the county.

As it was later named, Horizons began as a transition project, with the aims of reinvigorating the music offer at The Dukeries, and engaging local primary schools with the project as they were about to move up to secondary school. We worked with Inspire Youth Arts and Sinfonia Viva to co-design the programme in close collaboration with the schools.

The first year was a resounding success, with young people co-composing music, learning new repertoire and, for the primary schools, a chance for them to familiarise themselves with what secondary school looked and felt like. We found strong support at the culmination event, with a full house of parents and friends.

The second year enabled us to expand the programme, introducing Sherwood Forest Brass Band (led by Christine Lippeatt), which saw new young recruits join and perform for the first time in their very own concert in the community. The creation of a new Dukeries Creative Ensemble was a hugely positive development.

Reflecting on this project, which will soon expand further into the community, it is heartening to see the impact that a project like this can have not only by instilling music as a part of one’s creative life from a young age, but by its capacity to offer a sense of belonging – to a school community, to the place where you live, and to the cultural heritage you grow up in.

Getting to know some of the young people over the course of our time in Ollerton, I feel them growing in confidence and pride in being part of Sherwood Brass Band, or The Dukeries Creative Ensemble.

The regularity of contact with Inspire tutors and the commitment of Christine from Sherwood Brass Band, and the investment of time from the teachers at The Dukeries Academy and Forest View Primary schools, the support offered by the local church. All of this nurtures the musical environment, allows for progression to be realised, and builds pride in the young people as they grow in their musical pathways.

Our new Community Impact Co-ordinator for the Midlands, Chiara Dellerba, will be supporting local partners until the next phase of Horizons, when I very much look forward to returning to Ollerton with our brilliant colleagues from Sinfonia Viva.