Building on the success of our existing Samba Band, we will buy 30 new professional instruments to help existing members improve their playing skills. We will deliver workshops in schools and to members of other Music Hub Groups to enable more young people across Sheffield to experience the joy of Samba! We will provide Band members with T shirts to increase their sense of being in a team and so that, when they perform, they look as spectacular as they sound! Through Arts Awards we will recognise the achievements of our Band members. The Benefits of the project are: Excellence: Encouraging the existing band members to achieve musical excellence. Inclusion: Increase the reach of the Band and get more young people involved and benefiting from the band with increased confidence, collaboration, team building, performance, self worth. Profile: Great opportunities for public benefit through the band performing at festivals, concerts and events throughout the city.

What we'll deliver:

• Professional quality Samba equipment - 30 instruments including beaters and straps
• 4 full days of workshops in schools and with Music Hub ensembles
• 30 Sheffield Youth Samba Band T shirts
• 30 Industry leading Ear defenders
• Support for 20 students to achieve Arts Awards
• Promotional materials including flags and banners
• A celebratory performance at Hubfest in July 2020

Why it's a great idea:

Samba is the ultimate feel good music that everyone can enjoy regardless of their background or musical skills. Samba is inclusive, collaborative, and, as well as being fantastic in its own right, it's a great segway into playing other kinds of music for all young people, including those for whom traditional pathways to playing are not available. We want more of Sheffield's young people to benefit from playing samba and to do this we need more and better equipment. We also need to show students how much fun it is, and how they can get involved, by taking the samba to them in their schools and groups, so that they can have a go. Finally we want our band to get great recognition, not only through their outstanding performances, but also via an approved and structured Awards scheme. Samba brings joy to the listener as well as the performer. With a bigger, better resourced Youth Samba Band we can reach out to wider audiences, play at more events and increase our repertoire.

Steps to get it done:

• January 2020 - Purchase new instruments
• January - March 2020 - workshop visits in schools and established music groups
• January - April 2020 - open rehearsals for new and interested members
• May - purchase of t - shirts, flags and banner
• Celebratory performance - July 2020
• March 2020 - July 2021 Arts Awards

We will approach the following Sheffield Secondary Schools to offer samba workshops to their students: All Saints Catholic High School Sheffield Park Academy Sheffield Springs Academy Mercia School Astrea Academy These schools have been chosen as they strategically help to broaden our offer ensuring we are reaching Children and Young People from all corners of our city. The majority of these schools have a developing partnership with the Music Hub and this project will tangibly enable us to increase our engagement with them.