News and Reviews

News: Viva Reaches Crowd Fundraising Target
Nov 2011

East Midlands orchestra Sinfonia Viva has reached its target on www.wedidthis.org.uk – the growing phenomenon in fund raising for the Arts in the UK. Derby-based Viva ran a month-long online fund raising campaign and managed to exceed its £500 target, raising just over £600.

Visitors to the website were invited to make a range of donations from £10 to £300 for two VIP guest tickets to a world premiere next March which will mark the start of celebrations for the Orchestra's 30th anniversary.

The money will go towards the funding needed for a new Viva commission entitled Invocation which will have its world premiere in Derby as part of the BBC Music Nation Festival in March - one of the keynote 'countdown' events for the London 2012 Festival, the finale of the Cultural Olympiad.

Viva, working with Derby Live and Orchestras Live, has commissioned composer Tunde Jegede, who brings together classical, African and pop music in his highly acclaimed work. Invocation is a concerto for Cello (Matthew Barley) Orchestra and African Percussion as well as solo contemporary African dancer Bode Lawal and will also involve 120 young people aged seven to 21 who will write and then perform their own music inspired by the theme on March 1 at Derby's Assembly Rooms. The full commission will then be premiered by Viva alongside Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring with a brand new choreography from Tom Dale involving Bounceback - a group of young dancers from Déda - on March 3, conducted by Nicholas Collon.

Viva Chief Executive Peter Helps said: "We are delighted that we were successful in reaching our target which we purposefully set at an achievable level firstly, in recognition of the tough economic climate, and secondly, because this was a totally new venture for us and we did not want to run before we could walk. We continue to explore new ways to encourage donations, no matter how small and crowd fund raising is just one way we invite people to engage with and support our work."

He continued: "For many of the young people involved, this will be their first experience of live classical music which, through the workshops and performance, will enhance communication skills, build confidence and encourage creativity. Viva has a national reputation for leading the field in working with young people and local communities to bring classical music to life. Invocation is particularly exciting as it merges cultures and brings together music and dance in an exciting and vibrant way - making it a perfect regional showcase for the Cultural Olympiad's London 2012 Festival."

Media enquiries: Sarah Jenkin-Jones - Tel: 01332 515102/07951 945 665 sarah@jjpublicrelations.co.uk