The project will aim to reach older and young members of the same community to produce a community cohesion as a start to developing an intergenerational project.
Professional choir leads will facilitate the choirs to ensure quality of provision is of high standard e.g. safe singing, correct warm-ups, and correct choice of songs for age range of choirs and with necessary skills to manage the collaboration of inter-generations. Choirs will meet regulary and then come together once a month to develop the collaboration. This may lead to becoming involved in wider Choir opportunities across the city (linking in with City of Culture 2017 project) where possible.
The project would be working with 5 local primary schools across the city and Pickering and Ferens residents to create a choir that will then be sustained through volunteers who will gain valuable experience .
The project will deliver a mass choir at a showcase event , throughout celebrating Older people week in 2017.
What we'll deliver:
- Produce a mass choir to perform at The Hull City Hall to raise funds to re invest back in the choir project
- Use experienced choir leads to develop community choirs, who can then mentor future volunteers
- Develop a intergeneration choir across the city
Why it's a great idea:
With reduce funds to local NHS and health services the need for people to be more in control of keeping themselves healthy and well. This can be achieved through singing and also social interaction between young and old, and creating great forms of art through music and singing.
The evidence of need for this huge as in Hull, as 27% of people are described as having fair or poor health, we are 3rd most deprived council in England and have a high level of deprivation in the city.
To decrease social isolation, increase independence and give the older people in Hull a reason to get up in a morning and take control of their own health and wellbeing, and project like this give that opportunity and also the pathway to volunteering their skills to develop the projects further.
The choir has many health benefits and is inclusive, therefore provides openings for the less able and more vulnerable people to take part or be entertained by the performances which allows them to be included.
Steps to get it done:
- funding the choir leads
- transport to support the project
- room hire for practice
- venue hire for final showcase production
This project was done a few years ago and the impact that intergenerational work has on the city and the people in is immense and feel this project is worth backing and funding as there are no barriers to people taking part and it would be great to get people singing a and creating a piece of art to remember and developing to a self sustaining project.
Seeing young and old working together is breath-taking and one not to be missed.
