8‑Bit Goole: Creativity Without Limits

Inspired by the environments and characters of iconic games, the 8-Bit Goole concert was a celebration of the music young people from a mainstream and SEND school setting created with players from the Hallé orchestra, composer Kris Halpin and East Riding Music Service.

This is the second year of Goole Creates! A project that seeks to develop an inclusive youth ensemble in the area of Goole. Significantly, this year saw the project welcome composer Kris Halpin, who uses the emerging and accessible instrument, the MiMu gloves.

Workshops incorporated improvisation, sound painting, changing roles as conductors, soloists – a process that included many creative ideas from the SEND young people who intuitively flowed with what they were hearing in the space.

Culminating at Goole Academy, young people performed alongside Manchester’s Hallé orchestra young people who performed in last year’s concert reported feeling more confident, prepared and knew what to expect. This showed through their performance skills and ability to play with the Hallé as an ensemble.

"As a special needs parent, fantastic to see children with different needs getting the chance to take part. Amazing to feel included in the community." – the concert was well received and the relaxed nature meant that both audience and musicians shared the space equally, with a dance party eruption at the finale of the concert.

Britten Sinfonia Inspires Students at The Apex

The Apex has been a valued long-term partner of Orchestras Live, and we are proud to support their orchestral concert series. Over the past year, we have been exploring new ways to deepen community engagement during orchestra visits.

In May, we joined Britten Sinfonia at The Apex in Bury St Edmunds, alongside music GCSE students from County High School. Throughout the morning, led by Jessie Grimes and a trio of Britten Sinfonia players, students took part in a hands-on composition session. They developed their understanding of musical collaboration and explored how musicians connect and work together, particularly in the absence of a conductor.

This was followed by a lively Q&A session, offering students the opportunity to learn more about life as a professional orchestral musician. The day concluded with a behind-the-scenes look at a rehearsal ahead of Britten Sinfonia’s performance of Appalachian Spring, providing valuable insight into the rehearsal process and how ensembles operate without a conductor.

We look forward to continuing our partnership with The Apex and to further expanding the reach and impact of this work.