OAE Education 2022 / 23

A programme to involve, empower and inspire

Early Years and Key Stage 1 Programmes

The Spring Term is a peak time for our work in schools for Early Years (up to 5 years old) and Key Stage 1 (KS1, pupils from 5 to 7 years old) with workshops and concerts from south to north.

The King of the Sea project introduces children at schools in our five partner boroughs in London – Camden, Brent, Merton, Wandsworth and Ealing – to the music of Handel and Purcell through an environment-themed story. On board the Sailboat Malarkey, our young adventurers meet Poseidon, the King of the Sea, who is jealously guarding his treasure chest. This turns out to be the junk people on land have thrown away, but we discover how it can be given a second life being recycled as instruments to make music.

Over 650 KS1 pupils in our partner London boroughs took part in The Magic of Mozart project. This delivers a workshop with OAE players in each participating school followed by attending a concert. Pupils learn about the different instruments and sounds of the orchestra and explore music including Mozart’s Symphony No. 29 and a participatory version of his ‘Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star’ variations (arranged by James Redwood).

In addition, the team has travelled for residencies in York and County Durham to work in schools and give performances of The King of the Sea and Papageno and the Bird That Would Be Free. Our educational residencies also create opportunities for engaging with communities more widely. As part of our ongoing work in North Norfolk we have given a chamber concert in North Walsham, whilst our work in County Durham and York will see events as part of the Durham Vocal Festival, concerts at the University of York and a family concert at the National Centre for Early Music.

OAE Educational Activity in 2023

Principal Residency at Acland Burghley School

Acland Burghley School is a home for our players, staff and governance. It is also a crucial hub for our educational programme. Here we engage students in a range of different programmes that support curricular and extra-curricular activity from dance projects to our own unique jamming sessions, Musical Connections, and our Dreamchasing Young Producers programme. We bring the school community into our musical world through workshops, access to rehearsals and concerts and carefully curated Encounter Sessions where students have their own unique introduction to the OAE.

National Residencies

For many years, the OAE has been committed to a national programme of engagement in underserved communities. In 2023, that work continues in key residencies in North Walsham, Ipswich, York, Durham and King’s Lynn with community concerts, workshops, programmes for early years (TOTS), and specially curated programmes for schools (The Magic Flute and The Life of the Sea) based on the core repertoire of the OAE.

In London Schools

The OAE has long-established relationships with many schools across London. In harmony with the national plan, the OAE will offer The Magic of Mozart and The Life of the Sea to young people from Camden, Brent, Merton, Wandsworth and Ealing.

Special Needs

A key priority for the OAE Education team is to respond meaningfully to the additional educational needs of young people. We are proud to be working with students at Swiss Cottage Special School, Camden, and Thomas Worsley Special School, Ipswich, as part of the Musical Connections project that is also a crucial component of our residency at Acland Burghley School.

Alongside a choir of 1,500 in a musical spectacular (Something Special) at the Royal Albert Hall, we will be sharing music created by young people from Great Ormond Street and University College Hospital Schools as well as students from Swiss Cottage Special School.

For Families

Throughout the year, we present specially curated events for families. These include OAE TOTS concerts at the Southbank Centre (Pack Your Bags), OAE TOTS FUNharmonics workshops with the LPO and The Magic Flute at the York Rise Street Party in our home borough of Camden.

Developing Young Talent

The OAE is committed to developing the next generation of talent in the following programmes:

OAE Experience scheme to help aspiring young professional musicians develop in historically informed performance practice.

OAE Rising Stars is a biennial competitive programme for debutant singers, offering high-profile opportunities with the OAE on the international stage.

Suffolk Young Strings Project is a project to encourage players to create new compositions inspired by baroque music.

Our participants come from a wide range of backgrounds and we pride ourselves in working flexibly, adapting to the needs of local people and the places where they live. The extensive partnerships we have built up over many years ensure maximum and lasting impact.

We take inspiration from the OAE’s repertoire, instruments and players. This makes for a vibrant, challenging and engaging programme where everyone is involved; players, animateurs, composers, participants, teachers, partners and supporters all have a valued voice.

We do hope you can join us for some of these events! Please contact us if you would like further details on how to attend or support these projects.