By Eli Barrott, Advocacy and External Affairs Officer
Monday 17 June 2024
Nearly 2000 school children filled the Main Stage auditorium last week to take part in a sing-a-long version of The Magic Flute, alongside artists of the Royal Opera Chorus and the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House. Eighteen classes of Year Five students from the Harris Federation of schools have been participating in the Royal Opera Houses's Create and Sing programme throughout the academic year.
This event was the culmination of the year-long partnership in which schools learned and prepared six short song through 'live lessons' hosted by the Royal Opera House. Students aged 9 to 10 from 18 different schools in London and the South-East have been working together to prepare for the event; an unforgettable hour of singing and creativity.
The Royal Opera House is committed to widening access to high-quality artistic experiences for young people and inspiring creativity in communities across the UK. The Everybody Sing initiative is one of the programmes that aims to increase access to the arts and break down barriers to opportunity in the creative industries for young people.
The collaboration between the Royal Opera House and the Harris Federation has helped to upskill both music-specialist and non-specialist primary school teachers to be able to introduce pupils to opera. It also gives them the tools to embed creativity into primary education.
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