Firebird project nominated for top london award

We are proud to announce that Firebird, a partnership project we ran with local schools last year, has been nominated for Outstanding Music Partnership Award, sponsored by the Cameron Mackintosh Foundation, at the Mayor of London’s London Music Awards 2015.  The winner will be announced at a ceremony at the Roundhouse on 11 June.

Firebird was an innovative music and dance project through which 110 young dancers and musicians from the London Boroughs of Hounslow and Richmond collaborated to create new work. It formed part of our aDvANCE London programme, which provides opportunities for creative and social exchange with secondary schools, colleges, youth groups, working collaboratively to explore elements of ballet.

In May 2014 our Year 10s danced with pupils from Feltham Community College and Richmond Park Academy in Firebird. It was an original piece of choreography by Royal Ballet School Artist in Education Bim Malcomson, set to Stravinsky’s ballet score, performed by young musicians from Hounslow Music Service and Richmond Music Trust.

The young dancers from the three schools worked together from January to May 2014 to creatively explore themes inspired by The Firebird ballet, first choreographed by Michel Fokine for the Ballets Russes in 1910.

Meanwhile, the young musicians formed an orchestra, rehearsing excerpts from Stravinsky’s score, under the guidance of a professional conductor from the Philharmonia Orchestra and receiving coaching from Philharmonia musicians. The orchestra also undertook a professional recording of the Firebird excerpts, to provide an audio track for the dancers.

The project was generously supported by the Mayor’s Music Fund and The Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation.

Watch a film about the project:

Watch a live recording of performance itself:

Find out more about our work with secondary schools