Giving the Gift of Music this Christmas
Today we are unveiling ambitious plans to bring weekly music to 10,000 primary school children in our region by 2026.
Since we launched in 2021 more than 5,000 children have received weekly music lessons through our schools programme and many more have attended free music holiday clubs, choirs, and events.
As well as announcing all of this in our 2022/2023 Impact Report, we are kicking off our campaign by taking part in this year’s Big Give Christmas Challenge – with a goal of raising £10,000 towards the schools programme.
This first part of the campaign will run between Tuesday 28th November and Tuesday 5th December 2023 and will see children from primary schools and choirs taking to high streets and venues in our region to spread some early Christmas cheer and show us all how their weekly music lessons are helping to improve their musical skills, confidence, and wellbeing.
CEO Cathy Grant explains: “The Big Give Christmas Challenge allows us to raise vital funds to support our work which are also match funded. Research shows that music plays an important role in child development. It can improve social skills, co-ordination, self-confidence, listening skills, creativity, and physical skills. Our aim is to address inequality of access to music and bring the many benefits of music to children from a young age.”
“Our schools programme helps remove the barriers for primary schools to deliver a wide-ranging music curriculum. We are currently working in over 20 of the region’s primary schools, many of which have high levels of disadvantage and special educational needs. We aim, over the next three years, to allow over 10,000 young people to receive a music lesson each week and to have the opportunity to join a choir, to come along to a music holiday club, or take up an instrument.”
Click here to see our 2023 Big Give Campaign Page
Children will be singing at the following dates/venues (please contact us for more information):
Thursday 30th November, Selby Abbey
Friday 1st December, York city centre, St Helen’s Square Christmas tree
Sunday 3rd December, Malton Christmas Festival
Tuesday 5th December, York Assembly Rooms (as part of the Lord Mayor’s Christmas Cheer Receptions)
Wednesday 6th December, Middlesbrough town centre Christmas tree
Sunday 10th December, North Yorkshire Moors Railway, Pickering (as part of their Santa Specials)
Sunday 17th December, As part of York’s Annual Community Carol Concert, York Barbican).
Video: visit YouTube and search for ‘Richard Shephard Music Foundation’ to see videos of our work.
The Richard Shephard Music Foundation is bringing music to thousands of children in Yorkshire and beyond. As a composer, conductor, teacher and performer, Dr Richard Shephard changed the lives of hundreds of children through music and the goal of the Foundation is to extend that legacy and experience to thousands more children across the region.