Classical Music Initiative in Schools Playground Proms Receives More Arts Council Funding

Playground Proms, an initiative from comedy string quartet Graffiti Classics to perform live, interactive educational classical music shows in school playgrounds, will tour schools and local venues across the country in 2024 thanks to a third Arts Council England (ACE) grant. Inspired by the iconic BBC Promenade Concerts, Playground Proms were originally developed in 2021 as a way to perform during COVID-19 social distancing restrictions and began as a collaboration with Cumbria Music Hub, which gives children and young people in the area access to music, supported by Arts Council England The first tour was such a success that a second project was toured in Cumbria and a dedicated charity created to focus on the educational side of Graffiti Classics' work. This third ACE grant enables the project to be rolled out to even more schools later this year in collaboration with other music hubs in Cumbria, East Riding, Lancashire, Norfolk, North Yorkshire, Portsmouth and York, as well as a pilot project in Kent.

Estimated to reach over 50,000 children, the workshops combine Graffiti Classics' renowned virtuosic musicianship with their trademark humour, educating children through hilarious collaborative performances that enable them to explore and develop their own musicality. Though mainly targeted at 5–11-year-olds (Key Stages 1&2), the whole school can attend. An electronic resource pack is available in advance for teachers and students and there are also Continued Professional Development (CPD) sessions should they be needed. Workshops include

-         An introduction to the Dalcroze Method of learning about music through movement, delivered by leading Dalcroze expert Monica Wilkinson in a new addition for 2024.

-         Performances of some of the most iconic classical music including works from BBC's Ten Pieces presented in Graffiti Classics' unique style

-         An introduction to conducting and composition

-         Strands of the current music curriculum including information about various instruments

Following the schools' workshops, there will be pop-up performances in key areas in the regions being visited for the wider community to enjoy.

 

Cathal Ó Dúill from Playground Proms said, “We are so pleased to be able to take Playground Proms to even more school children in 2024 and are very grateful to Arts Council England for their support. We believe classical music can be enjoyed by everyone and the response to both our schools' workshops and performances in the local communities show this. Some children we perform with may have never heard any live classical music before our visit and we believe passionately in the transformative nature of live music in all children's lives. All our audiences really enjoy the music being presented in a new and fresh way and we hope this can go some way to show there is interest from the public and classical music should be invested in. We can't wait to hit the road!''

 

Graffiti Classics were formed in 1997 by Irishman Cathal Ó Dúill whilst street-performing in Covent Garden. He realised that classical music could be made fun for everyone through interaction and comedy and was joined by a group of young graduates from London's top musical conservatoires, including the Guildhall School of Music and the Royal College of Music, who shared the same vision. Having honed their craft on London's streets, Graffiti Classics have developed a world-class virtuosic show that offers a wickedly refreshing alternative to the stuffy elitist perception of classical concerts. The band has a large international following, having performed regularly across the globe at a huge variety of events, with appearances ranging from festivals, cruise-ships and concert halls to prisons, hospitals and schools; from weddings and parties to theatres and corporate events. Playground Proms builds on the educational shows and workshops that Graffiti Classics have presented for many years, blending slapstick humour and brilliant arrangements to make classical music fun.

Performance Dates

18th – 24th March – Norfolk

15th – 17th April – Kent

29th April – 4th May – Lancashire

3rd – 8th June – North Yorkshire

10th – 15th June – York

17th – 22nd June – Cumbria

24th – 29th June – East Riding

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