Association of British Orchestras Releases New Details of ‘An Orchestra in Every School’ Initiative
By Afton MarkayThe Association of British Orchestras (ABO) announced the next phase of its new public engagement initiative “An Orchestra in Every School.”
The program, which is part of the #MusicThatMovesYou public campaign, aims to enable access for children and young people to live music making. As part of the initiative UK orchestras and ensembles, in collaboration with schools and music educators, will set out to deliver over a thousand live music opportunities in 2025. They also have set a goal to give over one million children and young people the opportunity to experience the joy and power of live music, no matter their school resources, abilities, or disability.
The ABO is calling on the Government to pledge its support. This pledge would take the form of a statutory minimum of two hours of active music making every week for school-aged children until the age of 16, and for all schools to have access to live music making.
A recent report from the Cultural Learning Alliance found that, between 2010 and 2024, there was a 43% fall in the number of A level entries in music, with almost half (42%) of all secondary schools no longer offering Music GCSE. Alongside this, a recent Demos report, commissioned by Music Mark found that the current government inherited a “black hole” in its music education budget, amounting to a shortfall of £161.4m.
Chief Executive of ABO Judith Webster, said in a press release,“The sobering statistics found in recent research highlight why ‘An Orchestra in Every School’ is crucial. We know that making music as a group improves focus, enhances mood and strengthens social bonds and there is such a powerful emotion that comes from experiencing a live performance. That is why it’s our aspiration for every school in the UK to either have an orchestra of its own – however they define that – or access to live music making.”
Orchestras currently taking part include the Orchestra in the Age of Enlightenment, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Aurora Orchestra, and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.
If there is no live music in your school, ABO asks you to contact an ABO member orchestra directly, or to ask the head teacher to connect with Music Hubs and Services, and find out if there are any musicians in your school community and could come into school.
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