Alongside our fantastic concert programme we run an outstanding participation programme in the Centre, in local schools and in the community.

Projects actively target and engage with existing and new audiences and participants, encouraging creativity, the development of skills and self esteem and above all, fun. The Centre is committed to partnership working - from formal education, arts and non-arts agencies to community organisations, the work is strategically planned to stimulate new activity and to give added value to existing work.

SCHOOLS WORKSHOPS

Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment (OAE)
Following a second and highly successful residency of workshops and schools concerts in 5 Trowbridge primary schools and two schools concerts earlier this year, a third year project is being planned with the same schools with the OAE’s Baroque Dances project. The Centre is thrilled that the partnership with this world renowned orchestra will continue through the concert and education programmes.

Doric String Quartet
The Centre has enjoyed a longstanding relationship with this exceptionally talented young quartet which, like the OAE has delivered high quality education work over a number of years. Wishing now to concentrate on their national and international concert programme, the Dorics will be giving one of their last schools workshops with the Centre this year. There will be workshops in Trowbridge schools on 23 April and a schools concert in early May. There are still 2 workshops available on 22 April if your school is interested. Please contact Jo Day at the Centre.

Ensemble 360
This ensemble has already given two highly successful Family Concerts at the Centre and is returning with Dirty Beasts (based on the Roald Dahl stories) on March 26th for a capacity crowd of 320 school children.

Funi
The Centre is very excited to be bringing to Wiltshire a unique duo (Bára Grímsdóttir & Chris Foster) from Iceland for 4 half-day workshops in primary schools on either Friday 26, Monday 29, and Tuesday 30 September 2008. They are Funi (Fire) and they have a wealth of cross cultural music experience between them. The workshop comprises traditional Icelandic and English folk songs, old traditional Icelandic instruments and the guitar as well as group singing. The Icelandic songs relate to contemporary concerns including global warming, conservation, green energy and Icelandic history and culture.

The workshops are for KS2 & KS3 children.

If you are interested in taking part in a workshop contact Jo Day.

2008/2009 schools programme
The Centre is working in collaboration with Wiltshire Music Service to expand its schools residency programme to include jazz, world and folk music as well as classical. We are fortunate in having secured a further three years sponsorship from the John Lewis Partnership to continue this programme. More information on what will be available from September 2008 for schools will be on this website in the coming months.

Wiltshire & Swindon Special Schools Festival
For the past ten years the Centre has played a key role in the hugely successful annual Wiltshire & Swindon Special Schools Festival. There are a number of developments in the festival this year including workshops by Anjali Dance Co. (a company of disabled dancers based in Banbury), the introduction of new artforms including film and video production, visual arts and dance. Artists, Bob Heath, members of Akabella, rap band Babyhead and film and video artist, Mark Bishop, will run sessions during the Spring in 8 special schools in Wiltshire & Swindon and two performances at the Centre on 7 & 9 July.

Small Schools
The culmination of the 2008 county-wide Small Schools Festival will take place at Wiltshire Music Centre on 13th, 18th & 20th June and at Marlborough College on 8 July. This exemplary singing project has involved 19 small, mainly rural schools. Called Everyman’s Land the project involves pupils in creating and learning songs, rhythms and singing techniques. It will be led animateur Ursula Barham and writer/drama worker Moira Townmsend Williams, together with composer Pete Letanka and a trainee. Additional benefits of the project include the development of music leaders’ skills and training for school staff and community music facilitators.

The final piece will be issue-based, with key themes embracing cultural diversity, cohesion within communities, and the environment as well as exploring issues around transient communities and refugees.

Making Waves – a project with disabled young people in community settings
The next phase of this innovative project with learning disabled young people will start later this year. Once the necessary funds have been raised we plan to start a regular monthly Saturday Club at the Centre at which disabled people can create music alongside professional musicians, network with other groups, share ideas and decide on the form and content of future activities. It is hoped that an annual one day festival in Summer 2009 will grow out of the Saturday Club. The Centre plans to work in partnership with such organisations as Linkuparts (Salisbury), Carousel (Brighton), Soundabout (Oxford) and others. More information about Making Waves will be on this site in the Autumn.

Wiltshire Music Centre is now part of a network of venues throughout the South West committed to developing a regular programme of disability arts. A regional co-ordinator is being appointed by Kaleido (regional disability arts agency for the SW) to support the network through creating a database of national and international professional disabled artists/companies and ensembles and to support the network in its long term aims.

DIVERSITY and INCLUSION

VIBES
WMC set up VIBES two years ago in partnership with Wiltshire County Council Ethnic Minority Achievement Service, Wiltshire Music Service, Wiltshire Youth Arts Partnership, Wiltshire Dancing and the Youth Development Service. The Centre has now hosted two highly successful VIBES days at the Centre, attended by over 100 black and other minority ethnic families from throughout Wiltshire in a day of music-making and performance led by outstanding artists from within and beyond the region.

Working with diverse communities
Wiltshire Music Centre has been successful in attracting a grant of £60,000 from the Lloyds TSB Foundation to develop its work with diverse communities in Wiltshire & Swindon. We will appoint a part-time cultural consultant/facilitator to advise and support the delivery of our Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan and put in place an initial three year programme of action research leading to long term sustained development. A brief for the cultural consultant post is on this website www.wiltshiremusic.org.uk/vacancies and the deadline for applications is 21 April 2008.

Steel Pan workshops
As of Spring 2009 there will be two new weekly Steel Pan workshops for 7-11 yr olds and 12-18 year olds. Please contact the box-office for further details nearer the time.

MusicXpress
Music Xpress, a music technology project for young people, has just completed its first highly successful three years of workshops and intensive sessions. It is currently undergoing a review with plans to expand its activities to more rural areas of county as well as the continuation of regular intensive weeks at the Centre.