Music is certainly making a difference to the students of St. Paul's Catholic Primary School, as Penny Mordant MP was able to observe first-hand. With additional funding from the Government's Cultural Recovery Fund, students had access to new, easy-to-clean instruments and online resources created especially to enhance the musical offer provided to schools through Portsmouth Music Hub.
Performing along with a specially composed song about Portsmouth, the students created an enthusiastic performance using boomwhackers, playing confidently and safely in their class bubble. The smiles on their faces said it all!
“The Cultural Recovery Fund has enabled the Music Hub to continue to provide a high quality offer to schools across the city, benefitting thousands of the city’s students. The digital song bank has been accessed by over 70 countries worldwide, and this has been made possible thanks to this invaluable funding.”
As part of the funding, some students have had the opportunity to work with professional composers to express their responses to the past 16 months of lockdown, online learning, separation and for some, sickness and loss. Students from the Flying Bull Academy have written a song called "Can't Hold us Down", incorporating a rap that summarises the events of the last 16 months, their experiences and aspects that are particularly pertinent to them.
“These songs reflect the power of music as an expressive channel for communication and the process of creating music to share and address feelings and responses is a remarkable tool as part of students’ recovery.”
Portsmouth Music Hub works closely with schools supporting their students' musical access and opportunities. As part of the Cultural Recovery Fund an online show about the Tasks of Hercules has been created and filmed and will be premiered on the Hub's YouTube Channel on July 14th. Penny Mordaunt MP described the initiative as an "innovative and creative legacy performed by the city's children and young people for their community to enjoy."
“It is impressive to see the continued work of Portsmouth Music Hub in enabling children and young people to participate in, and enjoy arts activities, which clearly enhances their well-being and underpins their learning in so many ways.”