Previous Projects

City Songbirds

The City Songbirds programme delivers breakfast, lunchtime or after-school singing sessions with Primary/Junior schools across Stoke-on-Trent working with young people aged 5–8. These groups are run by experienced Stoke-on-Trent City Music and Performing Arts Service tutors throughout the academic year.

Youth Operatunity

Youth Operatunity is a partnership between Make Some Noise, the New Vic Theatre, The Victoria Hall & The Regent Theatre, the Lichfield Garrick, and Glyndebourne Education. Through this project young people across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent have the opportunity to explore their creativity and develop skills in all the key areas associated with opera.

Just Add Music

Just Add Music! was delivered by Beavers Arts & implemented projects & activities through-out Staffordshire. One main focus of the work was promoting musical activity among asylum seekers & refugees in the Stoke on Trent/Newcastle area. Another important area of focus was delivering music creation-based projects to more isolated & rural areas of Staffordshire (project title – Outer Limits).

MaDuLa

MaDuLa is an after school music project at Newcastle Community High School, run in collaboration with Advanced Skills Teacher Steve Dawson. Hundreds of young people are involved in MaDuLa each year, learning new skills in percussion, singing, dance, performance and recording. MaDuLa has a peer mentoring strand where participants who are more experienced lead sessions for the less experienced.

Access All Areas

Access All Areas is a project for young people across the county and city to gain experience of a wide range of musical art forms. Access All Areas has produced performances and recorded CDs with nearly 1,000 young people, working in-house at Planet Sound Community Arts or as outreach in youth & community centres. More recently, Access All Areas has developed to include a series of 2-day residentials at Stanley Head outdoor pursuits centre during the summer and has developed into an all-year-round outreach programme.

Border Moves 2

Bordermoves2 is a two year urban music and dance project that seeks to deliver a programme of high quality arts activities associated with hip hop culture, targeting young people in rural and urban settings.

Glyndebourne Opera

The Glyndebourne Project will be overseen by Stoke and Staffordshire LEAs, and delivered by Stoke on Trent Theatres. The project is divided into two sub-projects, working with separate target groups as follows: Integrated Project: (Ages 8–14 years) April 2003 – March 2004

Staffordshire Songbirds

The singing clubs for 8–11 years olds provide an introduction to singing by embracing accessible, fun and challenging games and songs from a range of musical styles. Led by Staffordshire Performing Arts service and school staff they meet weekly in their individual schools and have opportunities to perform altogether in venues across the county and wider region. “It’s been the most exciting thing I think I’ve ever done in my (20 year) teaching career.” Primary School Teacher (Affiliated School) Staffordshire Songbirds, Boyz Noyz and Mind the Gap are all Make Some Noise projects in partnership with and delivered by Staffordshire Performing Arts service.

DJ School

The DJ School used to be a Make Some Noise project delivered by local community arts organisation, Verbal Arts. Make Some Noise developed the DJ School to deliver workshops for emerging young DJs. Initially developed in 2002, the project aspired to help young people build their self-esteem and confidence by teaching them the skills required to make a career from DJing and MCing in a safe and constructive environment.

Make Some Music

The sessions on our project ‘Make Some Music’ have occurred (see details below) and we had a successful day at the SPEAK OUT conference. We were able to enter an item into the Citizenship Through Music Competition being run by the LSDA (Learning Skills Development Agency). You can listen to some of the tracks from Speakout at the Jukebox section of our website.

Mind The Gap

Mind the Gap targets the transition years across junior and high schools providing inspirational workshops for young people aged 10–12 to encourage them to continue making music in their new school. “Singing was chosen as the main element as it is one of the most inclusive forms of musical expression there is.” Jenny Mason, Deputy Head of Staffordshire Performing Arts Service.

Boyz Noyz

The Boyz Noyz project aims to break down the barriers associated with singing. Teachers and musicians from Staffordshire Performing Arts Service delivers singing, vocal, improvisational and compositional sessions which are targeted at boys aged 7–11 who show an interest in developing their singing skills. During these weekly workshops, the boys learn a variety of new songs and enjoy vocal and musical games.

JunkNazium

Make Some Noise would delivered a short junk instrument project at John Wheeldon Primary School in Stafford over a few days in November. On hearing on this project, one of our partner organisations (Planet Sound Community Arts) invited the group to perform at their annual showcase on Tuesday 28th November at Victoria Hall, Hanley.

Young Researchers

The Young Researchers There are 6 young people from the Lichfield area of Staffordshire who have formed our ‘Young Researchers’ group.

Reson8r

Reson8r uses arts based interventions to research the impact of home and street life on antisocial behaviour in young people from a criminal justice perspective. The programme conducts research into how effective the use of arts based interventions are in Youth Inclusion Programmes (YIPs) and how young people’s perception of their home and street lives affects their social behaviour.

Rockz

Rockz is an after school band building club in secondary schools in Stoke-on-Trent. Rockz works with young people who are not currently engaged in musical activity out of the school environment. Rockz is commissioned by Make Some Noise and managed and delivered by City Music and Performing Arts Service.

Early Years Music Project

The Early Years Music Project in Stoke-on-Trent aims to raise awareness of the positive impact that music has in an early years setting. Make Some Noise works in partnership with The City Music & Performing Arts Service and Stoke-on-Trent Early Years Team, and is committed to the development of music making for 0–5 year olds and their teachers/practitioners in the Stoke-on-Trent area.

Write it, Sing it, Keep it!

Write it, Sing it, Keep it! is a project commissioned by Make Some Noise which managed and delivered by Pulse For Music, that helps groups of families to write, perform and record an original piece of music or song. The focus of the programme is on giving the participants complete creative control and ownership in the writing of their song.

Strum it, Bash it and ICT it

Strum it, Bash it and ICT it! is a project commissioned by Make Some Noise. It is managed and delivered by Stoke City Music and Performing Arts Service. The programme targets family groups who are not currently involved in musical activity and is forging links with community centres across the Stoke.

Bids 4 Kids

Bids 4 Kids delivers weekly after school group sessions for young people aged 8–14, in areas that do not currently have access to high-quality workshop or ensemble opportunities. Bids 4 Kids is commissioned by Make Some Noise; managed and delivered by Staffordshire Performing Arts Service.

Sing Up Burton

Sing Up Burton was an 18-month project to increase singing activity in schools and share the joy of singing with wider communities. Sing Up worked in primary and secondary schools, youth and community groups, and invited everyone to enjoy the benefits of getting together for a good sing. Between January 2008 and December 2009 the programme delivered a range of singing activities with primary, infant, junior, middle, special and secondary schools and youth and community groups across Burton upon Trent.

Youth Opera 09

Youth Opera 09 is a project commissioned by Make Some Noise; managed and delivered by Stoke-on-Trent Theatres. Open to young people with little or no previous experience in youth opera project who are aged between 10 & 14 years from Stoke on Trent and Staffordshire. Youth Opera 09 will involve a team of artists from Glyndebourne Opera who will come to the area to deliver a short intensive residential. Delivery will involve Stoke-on-Trent Theatres and Glyndebourne working as a co-operative.

Partners in Participatory Arts

The Partners in Participatory Arts scheme has different models and proposed interventions range from light-touch short placements to mid-term projects and more intensive long-term coaching. Placements are being provided by a range of organizations and would include placements for artists who may wish to shadow projects outside of the city and county.

UpBeat Conference

This event is aimed at anyone who has an interest in Early Years, Creative Learning and Family Engagement. Spend the day with sector specialists and learn new and innovative ways to engage early years children and families in music and movement activities.

Sonic on the Out

Sonic On The Out worked in partnership with Youth Offending Teams to extend the opportunities of music-making, education and training to young people who are on Youth Rehabilitation Orders, Referral Orders or on Final Warnings with the aim of diverting them from possible custodial sentences in future.

Enriching Futures

Enriching Futures was our strategic, Youth Music funded Musical Inclusion programme to promote the National Plan for Music Education and support Music Education Hubs in Wolverhampton, Walsall, Derbyshire, Sandwell, Staffordshire and Stoke. We provided professional development opportunities, and seed funding to develop and support new approaches to inclusion and diverse music making opportunities. We worked in partnership the regional Bridge organisation; Arts Connect West Midlands and the Might Creatives, Arts Council West and East Midlands, and other key cultural organisations and stakeholders.

 

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