Education ViVA

Creation
5th March 2008
Assembly Rooms, Derby

Each Spring sinfonia ViVA delivers a creative music project working with communities across Derby culminating in a collaborative performance at the Assembly Rooms, Derby. Previous years have included collaborations with a range of other artists including film producers and in 2007 Indian Classical musicians for Seasons.

"Everyone enjoyed taking part in every aspect of the project. A wonderful opportunity for all involved." - Derby College Dance Tutor

This year saw a collaboration of music and dance in the Creation project, which took place from January to March 2008 and involved 108 participants from Gayton Community Junior School, Derby Moor Community Sports College, Derby College, the University of Derby and Chaos Dance Company working with music workshop leader James Redwood, dance workshop leader Tom Dale and a team of sinfonia ViVA musicians.

"The group wanted to write to thank you for your invitation to take part in the Creation project. We thoroughly enjoyed working with yourself, James, and the musicians and please pass on our thanks to them all... Thanks again for such a unique opportunity and helping us to produce our first work as an independent company!" - Chaos Dance Company

The participating groups took part in a series of creative music and dance workshops during which they worked with the team to each create a new piece themed around Creation. Starting points for the musical compositions were taken from repertoire which featured in the first half of the concert including Milhaud’s La Creation du Monde and the second movement of Ravel’s string quartet, which was especially arranged for the full orchestra for this performance.

"I really enjoyed the fact that a whole orchestra played a piece I wrote." - Derby College Music Participant

The team worked with music and dance groups from Derby Moor Secondary School and Derby College who created music and dance to be performed together, the students from the University of Derby created music which Chaos Dance Company performed to and Gayton Junior School wrote a song and instrumental piece and created a dance which sinfonia ViVA accompanied. The final section involved the whole ensemble performing together.

"They loved working with the older participants! It was great to see the cooperation and support shown to our school, and this has been an excellent example to our children." - Gayton Junior School Teacher

As a new development for this year, a small scale performance took place at Derby Dance featuring a sinfonia ViVA string quartet performing with dancers Tom Dale and Louise Tanoto. As part of the project, Tom was commissioned to create four new dances which were performed at this performance and the Ravel was also performed at the Assembly Rooms during the first half of the culmination performance.

"I liked how they played the pieces where they got the ideas from in the first half." - Derby College Music Participant

All 108 participants came together with sinfonia ViVA to form a massed ensemble for the premiere performance of the new piece created during the project on Wednesday 5 March 2008. Friends, family, invited guests and the general public attended the performance, which was extremely well received. The performance was recorded and a DVD produced for each participant as a tangible record of their achievements.

"This was quite simply the best project I have ever worked on! James Redwood is an inspirational project leader both to the musicians and more importantly to the children and their teachers. Personally I learnt a huge amount from James in all aspects of my work, but especially in teaching the children how to compose their own song and also new warm up and musical games." - Musician

This project would not have been possible without the generous support from Rolls-Royce plc, Derby City Council, Awards for All, Orchestras Live, Derby Dance and sinfonia ViVA. ViVA receives funding from Arts Council England and Derby City Council.

Images from the project...