Listening to Audiences: a Critical Analysis of Participation in Classical Music Education and Outreach Projects Anahi Ravagnani
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Listening to audiences: A critical analysis of participation in classical music education and outreach projects Anahi Ravagnani Submitted in accordance with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy The University of Leeds School of Performance and Cultural Industries November 2020 - ii - The candidate confirms that the work submitted is her own and that appropriate credit has been given where reference has been made to the work of others. This copy has been supplied on the understanding that it is copyright material and that no quotation from the thesis may be published without proper acknowledgement. The right of Anahi Ravagnani to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. © 2020 The University of Leeds and Anahi Ravagnani - iii - Acknowledgements This PhD study would not have been possible without funding from the School of Performance and Cultural Industries, University of Leeds, which I gratefully acknowledge. My deepest gratitude goes to my inspiring supervisors, Dr Adam Strickson and Professor Ben Walmsley, who went above and beyond in their roles. Thank you for generously sharing your knowledge, for challenging me intellectually and for guiding me throughout the PhD journey with patience, serenity and kindness. Thank you to Fiona Harvey, Education and Youth Ensembles Consultant for the Association of British Orchestras for the constant encouragement, and also for introducing me to the Education Directors of the partner organisations in this study. To Jacqui Cameron and Steve Pickett, Education Directors for Opera North and The Hallé Orchestra – thanks for understanding the importance of this study and for allowing me to conduct the research within your organisations. For all support and valuable conversations during the fieldwork, thanks to Jo Brockbank, Project Manager for The Hallé Inspire Programme, and to Steven Phillips, Project Manager of the Whistle Stop Opera, who also kindly arranged access to rehearsals and performances. Thanks also to Lisa Bates, Headteacher of Gorse Hill Primary School, for her partnership. My very especial appreciation goes to all pupils and the Whistle Stop Opera project audience members who participated in this study. Thanks for your openness, for offering your time and for filling this study with vivid emotions, personal stories and memories. I am also grateful to the two classroom teachers at Gorse Hill Primary School and all talented musicians and singers of Whistle Stop Opera and The Hallé Inspire Programme for their contribution to this research. To Dr Leila Jancovich, thanks for raising important questions and for bringing fresh insights to this study in the transfer assessment. To Dr Kate Taylor, Academic Lead for the Intersessional PGR Programme in the Language Centre, my gratitude for her friendship and encouragement throughout this study. - iv - I also would like to thank Linda Watson, Senior Graduate School and Research Support Officer, and Rebecca Turpin, Customer Assistant of the Brotherton Library, for guaranteeing that I had access to all resources I needed to conduct this study. My gratitude also to the support provided by Student Disability Services over the past two years. For exchanging ideas, for reading parts of this thesis and for sharing their wisdom, thanks to my fellow PhD friends, Elizabeth Ridley and Luciana Rosa, and to Dr Andreas Rauh, Dr Said Tuma and Dr Jorge Scheffer. To James Taylor and the meditation group, thanks for reminding me of the importance of breathing and cultivating my balance to carry out this PhD, particularly in challenging times. Many friends were by my side throughout this journey, and I am grateful to each one of them for bringing joy and love to my life. A very special thank you to my sister at heart Daniela Alvim Fonseca. To Viviana Morilla, Tiago de Paula Squires, Ana Signorini and Yaxin Luo, thank you for their companionship. Finally, heartfelt gratitude to my incredible, loving and supportive parents, Edmar and Vera, and to my extraordinary siblings Janaina and Enrico, without whom I would not have had the courage to embark on this journey in the first place. - v - Abstract The last four decades have been characterised by a growing discussion in the orchestral sector regarding modes for overcoming barriers to classical music attendance. Such discussions reflect funding bodies’ growing requirements for initiatives capable of broadening and diversifying audiences and being meaningful for participants, whilst maintaining artistic excellence. This research investigates the extent to which education and outreach projects offered by two classical music organisations allowed or inhibited participation in, and engagement with, classical music and opera. Whether through a single attendance at a performance of the Whistle Stop Opera project, or by taking part in the Hallé Inspire programme, a long-term creative music-making programme, the research aimed to investigate the value attributed to classical music by participants and its place in their lives. Drawing on an ethnographic approach, underpinned by observations and conversations with participants, this study examines individuals’ experiences of interpreting, expressing and attributing meaning to their encounters with classical music and opera. By placing participants’ voices at the heart of the inquiry, it reveals the variety of participants’ expectations, responses, emotions and relationships to the artforms, making an original contribution to the fields of audience research, music education, arts management, and cultural policy. The research also provides an in-depth analysis of encouragements and barriers to participation that may inform organisational policies and practices. The findings of this study highlight the role of spaces and the relationship between participants and performers in influencing audiences’ enjoyment and in fostering life-long engagement with classical music, both for new audiences and for regular attendees. This study reveals the lack of a concise alignment between arts organisations’ missions with the goals and outcomes envisioned by projects dedicated to broadening and diversifying audiences, highlighting the need for clearly focused aims and objectives in education and outreach projects. - vi - Table of Contents Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................... iii Abstract ............................................................................................................................... v Table of Contents ............................................................................................................. vi List of Tables ..................................................................................................................... ix List of Figures .................................................................................................................... x Chapter 1 Introduction ................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Research Context ......................................................................................................... 3 1.2 Research rationale ...................................................................................................... 8 1.3 Defining key terms and concepts ....................................................................... 10 1.4 The structure of this thesis ................................................................................... 13 Chapter 2 ‘Not for us’ .................................................................................................... 17 2.1 From Antiquity to the Seventeenth Century: A dive into the classical music tradition ....................................................................................................... 18 2.2 Eighteenth and Nineteenth centuries: an attempt to shift classical music function and audiences’ participation ............................................. 22 2.3 The new millennium ................................................................................................ 26 2.3.1 The place of music in British schools ................................................. 32 Chapter 3 Towards an understanding of participation in arts ..................... 39 3.1 The common assumptions, many interpretations and lack of consensus in arts participation ........................................................................ 41 3.1.1 Great arts for all .......................................................................................... 47 3.1.2 Arts as a means of social, personal and community change ...... 49 3.1.3 Cultural democracy and democratisation of culture .................... 53 3.2 British orchestras in context ................................................................................ 55 3.2.1 Mission, vision and the place of educational and outreach projects within classical music organisations’ structures .......... 62 Chapter 4 Methodology ............................................................................................... 65 4.1 Methodological introduction................................................................................ 69 4.2 Case studies ................................................................................................................ 71 4.2.1 The Hallé Orchestra ..................................................................................