One hundred school children joined with students from the University Bristol and Royal Holloway for a joint performance at the Victoria Rooms as part of the annual collaboration with the charity Thinking Music.
Workshops led by the students, busking sessions and a joyful concert showcased the collaboration in action.
Thinking Music is an initiative that brings music education to underserved areas by linking rural primary schools with higher education institutions, and is boosting the confidence and expanding the horizons of children, teachers and students across the South West.
Students from the University of Bristol studying Music as part of their degree or as member of the University Music Society go to the participating schools to deliver classes, sharing their expertise and inspiring younger learners and teachers alike through hands-on musical experiences, all whilst learning a great deal themselves.
Professor Sarah Hibberd, Stanley Hugh Badock Chair of Music from the University of Bristol’s Department of Music, said: “Thinking Music has inspired our students to develop their creative skills in new ways, equipping them with knowledge, experience and confidence.”
For the children involved, the collaboration offers an exciting gateway into new musical worlds. Wren, nine years old from Woodborough School, said: “I like making music and my favourite instruments are the piano and saxophone, but I like learning about instruments I have never heard of before.”
The exposure to the people, skills and physical spaces at the University helps expand children’s horizons, demystifying university and showing them the role it could play in their futures. In 2022–23, 34% of participating children had never met a university student.
Lisa Morgan, a teacher at Kennet Valley Primary School, said: “We’ve been involved for five years now, and the children love it. They come from a very small, rural village and, for some of them, this is the first time they have been to a city like Bristol.”
The collaborative model is now being expanded to Royal Holloway University of London, following their participation in the project hosted by the University of Bristol.
Thinking Music Director Alice Poppleton highlighted the need for such initiatives: “Cuts to the arts at a national level and a concentration of musical facilities in urban areas can leave rural communities at a disadvantage. There are simple, logistical challenges that make it harder for people to access the creative, educational and health-related benefits of being involved with the arts.
“Collaborating with the University of Bristol to help combat this has been fantastic. Students bring energy and creativity to classrooms, they’re able to build their skills and experiences while making a real difference in their communities.”