Readipop Annual Report June 2009 – July 2010 About Readipop creates innovative arts projects which aim to challenge and inspire people. Readipop aims to promote the development of the arts and in particular music for the benefit of the local community by providing studio space and facilities and by organising events and activities which improve public access to the arts and promote understanding and learning about the creative and technical processes involved in the creation of music. Charity Number 1123962 The year in brief: This year has seen a couple of major successes for Readipop. Firstly our Urban Orchestra – Classical Soundclash project culminated in a high quality performance at the Hexagon, Reading as well as a series of innovative workshops with local primary schools and the creation of a performance DVD. Readipop also worked to develop a new business plan for the next 5 years and set about trying to raise the funds to put the plan into action. After an initial failure, we secured £75,000 of organisational development funds from the Arts Council of England. The project begins in late Summer 2010. 1 Projects in 2009/10: Urban Orchestra & Primary roadshows A partnership between Readipop, The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Berkshire Maestros, Reading Borough Council and Youth Music. The Urban Orchestra ran from March 2009 – May 2010. The project was about making music without boundaries, working with young classical musicians, urban MCs, producers, singers and rock musicians. With young people form; Blessed Hugh Farringdon School, John Madejski Academy, Highdown School, Reading Girls School, Berkshire Maestros, Amersham Road Youth Centre and Thames Valley University From February to May 2010 Readipop delivered a series of “Urban Orchestra Primary Roadshows” these these included a short talk on the Orchestra, a DVD of the final performance, and a range of musical activities where the students experienced working in an Urban Orchestra style. These took place at six primary schools; New Christchurch, Micklands, Emmer Green, St. Mary All Saints, Thameside and George Palmer. Cranbury College – Pupil Referral Unit Readipop is continuing its ongoing work providing music projects for pupils from Cranbury College. This work has grown from the 'Locked On' project and is entirely funded by the College. Readipop are also starting to offer instrumental tuition to excluded pupils via Cranbury College. In September 2009 Readipop with Bindi Sagoo went to Cranbury College to run a one day Islamic Music day. This also supported the development of Bindi Sagoo as a new Music Leader for Readipop. Transitions Project Transitions project aimed to help young people to continue making music when they moved from primary school through to secondary. In Summer 2008 and 2009 Readipop ran a series of successful Samba drumming workshops in the primary schools in Caversham that feed Highdown where a Yr 7, 8 & 9 Samba group was set up. There was also a weekly after school ‘rock school’ that targeted pupils who are not involved in other music making. Young people from both after school clubs performed at several school concerts and events, as well as shows at the Reading Hexagon. The project finished in February 2010, and Readipop are working with the school to look into ways in which the samba group might continue. Bishop’s Green A project with a small rural youth club based in North Hants just outside Newbury funded by Youth Music. Readipop delivered weekly music technology and DJ based workshops and trained young people to support their peers using the new equipment that the club had bought. Readipop also ran a number of wider music workshops during the holidays including rock workshops, samba and recording sessions at PlugnPlay Studios. The 2 project started in September 08 and finished in February 2010. Readipop continue to have a working relationship with the centre. Band Camp & Rock Academy Readipop combined together two music projects in August 09, Band Camp for your people aged 10-13 and Rock Academy for young people aged 14+. The projects were artistically successful, and Readipop are planning on repeating and developing the programme each summer, although work will need to be done to increase revenue from paying participants in addition to places funded via projects. Dhoom Dhamaka Indian Music workshops In June 2010 Readipop ran some some continual professional development sessions for selected music leaders as part of Dhoom Dhamaka, Reading’s annual celebration of Asian arts. Working with Bindi Sagoo and Johnny Kalsi the sessions focussed on Indian percussion, the participants got to try their hand at Tabla, Dhol and Dholak. The second part of the Dhoom Dhamaka project was to run some open Dhol workshops, this lead to a musical collaboration between Beatroots and The Dhol Foundation, with the piece created was performed at Forbury gardens band stand. The final stage of this project will be for Readipop's music leaders to deliver work with some local young people. Amersham Road Music Project - Youth Music partner project: Running weekly from June 09 – through to March 2011. This is a Youth Music Power Play project, working with a group of young people facing challenging circumstances. Readipop was invited to take part in this initiative and worked in partnership with Amersham Road Youth and Community Centre to submit a successful funding bid. Weekly music and band skills workshops are delivered, as well as a number of wider music workshops during the holidays including rock workshops, gigs and recording sessions at PlugnPlay Studios. The project has produced recordings, gigs and performances at community events. Banned Sessions PAYP Project Ending March 2010 Banned sessions was a PAYP supported project for young bands from January – March 2010. Young bands had guided rehearsals in preparation for live shows supporting name bands at Plugnplay. Also as part of the project Readipop worked with 5 young people mentoring them in how to run a successful live music night. They got to learn about dealing with agents, booking bands, gig promotion and marketing, radio and press liaisons, running an event and ticket management. In all six shows happened with 15 young bands and four headline acts. 3 New work – going beyond July 2010 Business Plan. Readipop developed and agreed a new business plan for the next 5 years in November 2009. The plan was put together by Gavin Lombos with assistance from Paddy Gilmour. The plan also informed the bid for organisational development funding from the Arts Council submitted in December 2009. Organisation Transformation Project. Our bid to the Arts Council of England was unsuccessful. We were encouraged to re- submit our application with a couple of small changes based on the business plan agreed. The bid succeeded at the second attempt in the Summer of 2010. The project is due to start in September 2010. Get Grandad to DJ Get Grandad to DJ is an exciting project which explores the common ground that music offers across the generations. This is a chance to work with Readipop’s experienced music leaders in conjunction with Reading Museum to create remixes or DJ performances using your music, old and new. Caversham festival Readipop have been preparing to begin managing the Caversham festival, with the handover to be completed in Autumn 2010 and the next festival taking place in 2011. Readipop intends to build on the good work done previously as part of the festival and are looking at ways to improve local schools participation through partnership working and projects resulting in performances at the festival. Nightingales: Follow up to Bishops Green project in one of the most deprived housing estates in Newbury. Moorside Music Project. A project with Moorside Youth Centre in Thatcham supported by the Youth Music Open Programme fund. The project runs to Summer 2012 with the following aims: • To provide a new, high quality music making project for young people in Thatcham. • To develop free and affordable rehearsal, recording and performance opportunities for young people. • To widen and diversify the range of music on offer to young people in an isolated rural community. • To encourage new young people to access the music project by running taster sessions and holiday projects. • To work with young people in challenging circumstances through work with partner organisations (eg PRUs and YOT). 4 Projects in development Artxchange/skillshare/Music Leader South East delivery: A local project to develop networks of artists and arts groups sharing skills amongst each other. This will also compliment work that Readipop is developing with the newly formed Music Leader South East. MyGig: MyGig is an application to Youth Music to develop a new ongoing, regular, high quality music-making programme for young people across Reading. It will provide a progression route for young people who have taken part in other Readipop projects and those who are currently not served by the music service and other traditional 'Rock School' programmes. It will do this through regular weekly band sessions, and gig projects. The programme will support creativity, originality and builds self-reliance developing a high quality programme of gigs for young people that supports, complements and mirrors the local, professional gig scene. Rock of Ages A two year project to develop and support a local ‘scene’ of older musicians. The programme will feature workshops and encouragement for older people who have never played music before and support for experienced ‘lapsed’ musicians. Rock Of Ages will have built-in showcases gigs for friends and family leading to bigger community performances at local and regional events and festivals. Heritage Project An aural history project... The project focuses on local musical heritage from Reading and the surrounding area. This will include stories collected about local festivals, reminiscence about import local musical events, bands and venues and the history of the underground and otherwise unknown aspects of Reading's musical history.