Proms in the Playground for 3,000 Sheffield Children This September

The inspirational event has been organised by Brass Bands England, Sheffield Music Hub, Sheffield Music Academy, and Music in the Round, as the organisations come together to form a new collaborative powerhouse called Harmony Works.

The event, which takes place from September 25th – 29th at 10 inner city schools, is the first joint event for Harmony Works and will see 3000 primary school children engage with brass bands and group singing in their playgrounds.

Harmony Works plans to base itself at Canada House, a 3000 sq. ft Grade II* listed building in the soon-to-be regenerated Castlegate area. Organisers have launched a £13m project to restore and revitalise the grand building and make a stunning new home for music education in the city.

Having received funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Harmony Works is currently undertaking an intense period of fundraising, project development and stakeholder engagement to turn the vision into reality.

The historic space will be full of music-making, every day, all year round. It will house the leading music education organisations in Sheffield and provide music education for more than 50,000 young people. 

Its city-centre location, at the corner of Castlegate and close to Ponds Forge, will mean that the very best music education is accessible for all young people. It will be a space for all music to thrive.

Recording facilities, performance, and practice spaces will support all types of musical development. Harmony Works will be a vibrant and welcoming space with a café and chill-out spaces that young people can make their own.

Organisers hope Proms in the Playground will introduce brass band music and group singing to more young people, strengthen links with schools and families and raise the profile of Harmony Works and the restoration of the stunning Italianate Renaissance-style Canada House building.

Emily Pieters, Harmony Works’ Project Director said: “Proms in the Playground is an important collaborative opportunity for the Harmony Works partners to work together to showcase the impact of our ambitious capital project.

“It will elevate the profile of the project with many audiences, including those who currently do not benefit from a music education outside school and will strengthen our links with schools and families.

“Sheffield boasts a strong musical heritage, with some of the world’s best-known bands and artists, and has a long history of live music venues and music festivals. We want all young people in the region to have access to activities and state-of-the-art facilities that can empower them to be part of this rich legacy and enjoy the many and varied benefits that playing music can give. That is what the Harmony Works project is about.”

Proms in the Playground is an extension of Brass Bands England’s national project which aims to engage young people in group music making, inspiring them to take up a brass instrument, join a brass band, and develop their singing.

Harmony Works partners will deliver whole-school participatory concerts in which children get the chance to see a diverse range of professional musicians from partner organisations. The events are funded by the Arts Council England and James Neill Trust.

Children will then perform alongside the musicians in a new arrangement commissioned by Out of the Ark Music, a publisher which writes and creates music for primary schools. Families and friends from one of the schools, Beck Primary in Shiregreen, will be able to livestream the event.

For more information on Harmony Works, please visit: www.harmonyworks.org.uk/support/