Our projects

Young Leaders Programme. Sistema England aims to create a vibrant ensemble with a strong youth voice, that demonstrates that great music-making and youth ownership are entirely compatible. This programme will develop into a Youth Company that includes orchestra, choir and other ensembles. In 2015, the programme includes 37 talented and committed young musicians from In Harmony Lambeth, In Harmony Liverpool, Sistema in Norwich and The Nucleo Project. These young leaders will come together in the week of 26 October 2015 to create a Sistema orchestra.

Youth Music Spotlighting. The purpose of this project was to bring together music teachers from Sistema-inspired programmes in England to learn and share effective practices with each other and subsequently with the wider music education workforce. The project follows a trip to Venezuela’s El Sistema by programme leaders and music directors in 2012. Teachers and leaders from In Harmony Liverpool, In Harmony Newcastle, In Harmony Nottingham, In Harmony Opera North, In Harmony Telford & Stoke and Sistema in Norwich participated. In Harmony Lambeth also participated in the final workshop.

Sharing Notes. This project aimed to explore methods used by strong music teachers from around the world. In 2015 we invited two teachers from Venezuela’s El Sistema, Ron Alvarez and Félix Briceño, to work with the children and tutors of In Harmony Lambeth, In Harmony Liverpool, Sistema in Norwich and The Nucleo Project. Read more about this exchange project that took place in April and May 2015.

Sistema Sounds! 20 music teachers and performers came together at Wheatsheaf Hall, home of In Harmony Lambeth, to play Venezuelan music. Sistema Sounds! was a workshop led by El Sistema teachers Félix Briceño (conductor) and Ron Alvarez (violin), culminating in an informal performance to the local community. Young musicians from The Nucleo Project joined in to help the teachers learn and perform Venezuela.

SMEEC. Sistema England was the lead organiser for the Sistema-inspired Music Education and Exchange with Canada, working closely with partners in Italy, Austria, Canada and Sweden. This project, supported by the European Union’s Culture Programme, enabled young musicians and music teachers from In Harmony Lambeth, In Harmony Liverpool, In Harmony Telford and Sistema in Norwich to perform in Canada, Italy and Sweden.