On behalf of the Department for Education, Arts Council England has announced a new generation of Music Hubs, covering every part of England. Following a competitive application process, Devon County Council, has been confirmed as one of 43 new Hub Lead Organisations, supporting music education across Devon, Plymouth and Torbay from September 2024.
Devon Music Education Hub will work with all schools across Devon, Plymouth and Torbay and plans to support new and existing opportunities for children and young people to engage with making and creating music, both in and out-of-school. This work will be supported by core funding of over £1.4M a year from the Department for Education, as well as additional capital investment of £474K over the next two years, specifically to support the purchase of musical instruments, equipment and technology.
Devon Music Education Hub will work with Plymouth Youth Music Service (part of Plymouth City Council) as a strategic delivery partner over the coming years to realise the aspirations of the National Plan for Music Education.
Cllr Andrew Leadbetter, Devon County Council’s Cabinet Member for Children’s Services and Schools, commented:
‘I am delighted that Devon County Council’s application to become the new Hub Lead Organisation for Devon, Plymouth and Torbay has been successful. As a member of the advisory board for Devon & Torbay Music Education Hubs for several years, and a past member of the Devon Youth Symphony Orchestra, I have seen firsthand the excellent work that the team does to support children and young people to make music, as well as the outstanding provision that is offered to our schools. By working in partnership with Plymouth City Council, we can extend this work across the entire region, providing hugely valuable music education opportunities for all children and young people.’
For more information on how the Music Hub can support your school/setting, please contact your local Music Development Lead.
A very special concert took place at Tavistock Wharf on Sunday 5 May, celebrating twenty years of Devon County Youth Brass Band and marking the retirement of conductor Peter Jones and his ever supportive wife, Sarah. The tributes were led by patron Angela Rippon CBE with Peter leading a band made up of both current and past members through a varies and entertaining programme. Fittingly, Pete will hand the baton (both figuratively and literally) to founder members Chris Spreadbury and Matt Hawkins who will be sharing the conducting duties from September. Best wishes to Pete and Sarah for a long and happy retirement and thank you for your huge contribution to music education in Devon.
Nominate your Creative Hero! These awards celebrate the incredible efforts of those working to provide opportunities in art, music, dance, creative writing, media and many other art forms. Our schools and communities are full of unsung heroes - let's celebrate them! Anyone can nominate a Creative Hero - they might be a teacher, teaching assistant, youth worker, young person, or just an individual in the community who is doing great things to help children and young people access creative arts opportunities. Co-hosted by the Devon Cultural Education Partnership and Torbay Arts in Schools Network, the Awards Celebration Party will take place at Exeter Phoenix on Saturday 29 June 4-6pm.
Devon and Torbay Music Education Hubs are delighted to be working with R&K Systems and Music In Devon Initiative (MIDI) to present this year’s Devon Secondary Schools Battle of the Bands.
Bands and aspiring artists from secondary schools/settings across Devon, Plymouth and Torbay can apply to join us at one of our regional heats, where they will get feedback on their performance from music industry professionals. A selection of bands will be invited to the Battle of the Bands Final at Bomba, Exeter on Thursday 27 June 2024 and could win the chance to professionally record their music and perform at high profile festivals. Find out more about how previous Battle of the Bands events have benefitted participating bands here.
Please note that applications should be completed by a teacher from the school that band members attend on the behalf of the band applying.
Devon & Torbay Music Education Hubs would like acknowledge the generous support of our host schools for supporting these events.
All Devon & Torbay maintained schools and academies benefit from 100% subsidised access to instruments and resources to support the delivery of Whole Class Ensemble Tuition (WCET) and projects through our provision of instrument class sets. Over 15,000 instruments have been loaned to schools over the last year allowing thousands of children and young people to take the first steps in their musical journey. Your feedback (provided anonymously) will help us to maintain and improve this provision.
|
Devon & Torbay Music Education Hubs will take over Bridwell Park, Uffculme this July as The Mix Festival returns!
Taking place over two days at Bridwell Park, admission on Friday 5 July will be exclusively reserved for school groups, with Saturday 6 July open to families and the general public.
On Friday, you can look forward to a wealth of live music performances and interactive workshops, guaranteed to enthuse and inspire children and young people (and those that work with them!) about music, performance and creativity – this year’s line-up will include Ceilidh, Samba, Bhangra, DJing and much, much more!
We have very nearly reached our capacity of 2,000 children and young people, so please do book now if you are planning to bring a school group.
The fun continues on Saturday 6 July with a jam-packed day of music and creativity for the whole family, including live music from some of Devon’s finest young musicians featuring performances from many of the County Groups and Hub supported music-making activities.
We will also have interactive music workshops for children and young people taking place throughout the day, including Japanese Taiko drumming; immersive musical play for younger children; and a variety of instrumental and vocal workshops for anyone interested in making music.
Saturday admission is free of charge but advance booking is recommended.
|
|
 |
Teignbridge Arts Project (TAP) is one of five Teignbridge District Council’s approved UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) projects, part of Central Government’s Levelling-Up Agenda. The aim of TAP is to provide a competitive grants scheme, enhancing Teignbridge’s existing opportunities to experience and participate in the arts. Bids to support exhibitions and public performances are encouraged, as well as a particular focus on stimulating wider participation, including amongst the district’s more deprived neighbourhoods.
Join English Touring Opera for The Great Stink. The Great Stink is a hilarious new opera by Omar Shahryar and Hannah Khalil for children aged 7-11. Set in Victorian London, the piece is brought to life with singers, musicians, puppets, and interactive moments children will get to meet Queen Victoria, Chancellor of the Exchequer Benjamin Disraeli, and even the Thames himself.
The Great Stink is the second in ETO’s series of operas about climate change and the environment, exploring water pollution and the way we dispose of sewage today. Full teacher packs, videos and resources are available on sign up to enable you to learn the songs and create your own puppets in advance.
- Thursday 23 May 2024 | 10am, 11.15am, or 1.15pm @ Exeter School
- Friday 24 May 2024 | 10am or 2pm @ Thomas Hall School
Please aim to arrive 15mins earlier so that we can get everyone seated.
Applications are now open for funding from The Dulce Haigh Marshall Trust, providing financial support for young string players across Devon, Plymouth and Torbay towards the cost of tuition or purchasing an instrument. The deadline for applications is 1 June 2024.
All maintained, academy, free schools and special schools with secondary phase students are eligible to receive this funding an allocation of Hub funding to support the cost of instrumental and vocal tuition for children and young people facing financial or other barriers. Applications for the summer term are now open and will close at half term - for more information please contact us.
Informal Music Chats
Various dates | Online
Child Protection Training for Music Educators
Monday 13 May 2024 (KS2 SATS Week) | Online
Devon Music Education Conference 2024
Friday 24 May 2024 | Buckfast Abbey Conference Centre
The Mix Festival 2024
5-6 July 2024 | Bridwell Park, Uffculme
Devon County Show
16-18 May 2024 | Westpoint, Exeter FULLY BOOKED!
Sidmouth International Jazz and Blues Festival Education Programme
25-27 May | Sidmouth - various locations
National Youth Folk Ensemble Open Day
Friday 31 May 2024 | Exeter Phoenix
The Trumpets Shall Sound
Saturday 8 June 2024 | St Margaret's Church, Topsham
Barkham Ensemble play Mozart & Schumann
Sunday 9 June 2024 | Barkham, Exmoor
The Mix 2024
5-6 July 2024 | Bridwell Park, Uffculme
TRYSTOCK 2024
Saturday 13 July 2024 | The Big Sheep, Bideford
|
