Youth Ensemble Scheme - Newham Music

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Youth Ensemble Scheme

The Youth Ensemble Scheme (YES!) is a partnership initiative led by Newham Music, which supports school music teachers to lead high quality group music opportunities for their students, with a focus on creative, student-led music making. YES! aims to establish a workable and sustainable model for inclusion ensembles, accessible to all young people.

In 2024 Newham Music inspired students to create their own music around the theme Space Is The Place, working in partnership with Rachel Leach (Animateur, LSO), innovative contemporary string quartet Modulus Quartet, and South London carnival band Kinetika Bloco.

The 2024 project included:

Inspiration Event featuring Modulus Quartet with composer Nicholas de Carlo, and facilitated by Rachel Leach, in March.
Inspiration Day led by Kinetika Bloco in April.
CPD and regular support for school music teachers across the project.
Training for artists, facilitated by Rachel Leach.
A final performance day, where the school ensembles will perform for each other and together, on 1 July.

Previous YES! partners have included Orchestras for All, Royal Academy of Music and Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment.