The BSO exists to bring music into people’s lives, and it’s our mission to be the cultural heartbeat at the core of our communities, both in and beyond the concert hall. We believe in providing as many opportunities as possible for people of all ages to access our live music, and have loved taking concerts to playgrounds across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole this summer in partnership with SoundStorm.

Our brass musicians played a number of interactive concerts of classical and popular music. Bayside Academy, said: “We absolutely loved it! Thank you so much – a truly inspirational event.”

Children enjoying playground concerts this June

A Brass Inspiration day at St Katherine’s School, Bournemouth, in early-June saw four BSO musicians demonstrating and helping students to try different instruments. This event was run in partnership with SoundStorm who provided 2 french horns, 5 trombones, 10 tenor horns and 15 cornets. The school said :“What a fabulous morning with brass players from @BSOrchestra associates. A concert for y4/5/6 and workshops for y3. Thank you to @SoundStorm”

Demonstrations and practicing at a Brass Inspiration Day

Later this month we’ll share a digital concert available online for schools in partnership with Wiltshire Music Connect. Schools will have access to the portal until the end of the academic year, with learning resources provided alongside the pre-recorded concert. Our Somerset Digital Residency is currently available — and live until April 2023 — exclusively for Somerset primary and SEND schools in partnership with Sound Foundation Somerset.

Filming day for Wiltshire Connect Concerts, available for schools to access until the end of the academic year

We’re also looking forward to playing music in SEND Schools Concerts 2022: Hebrides to Padstow as part of our SEND Schools’ Concerts tour in schools across the South West. We’ll be at Treloar’s in Alton on 12th July, Cliffdale Academy in Portsmouth on 13th July Victoria Education Centre in Poole on 14th July and Polden Bower School in Somerset on 15th July. A 14 piece ensemble conducted by Cayenna Ponchione-Bailey will go into schools, including members of BSO Resound.

Students aged 14-18 have been able to access online work experience this June. The one-week online work placement has provided a platform for students to achieve their Bronze Arts Award while also spending a full week learning about the different departments within the Orchestra and administration teams. Read more about this here and see what this years students thought of the week in the video below…

And then in July we’re running a careers day at Poole High School. The day will focus on roles in the arts sector and will be led by nine BSO practitioners/staff. A key focus of this is to open up careers in the arts to students and create awareness around the range of different roles available behind the scenes—not limited to being a musician or performer!

To find out more about the BSO Participate events being offered to pupils this academic year, and other music-making activity for all ages, click here