The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is teaming up with eight other Brent-based organisations to create Vi-Brent, a new initiative bringing a wide range of arts programmes to young people in the borough. The project is made possible by £550,000 in funding from Arts Council England’s Priority Places programme.
Together with Punchdrunk Enrichment, Fresh Arts, Unique Community, Mahogany Arts, Young Brent Foundation, Garden Studios, The Awareness Tap and Brent Council, the orchestra will use the funding to facilitate activities including an arts festival involving over 4,000 children, skills bootcamps for young people interested in future careers in music production, film, TV or theatre, and a pilot project of free arts provision for Brent Primary Schools.
RPO managing director Sarah Bardwell said: ‘We are delighted that the new Vi-Brent consortium has been awarded Priority Place funding by Arts Council England and believe this will be a positive and exciting step forward for the whole cultural sector in Brent. The RPO is committed to making Brent our home, and as we move to Wembley Park in 2025, we look forward to collaborating with a truly vibrant network of cultural organisations to create more cultural opportunities for young people in the borough.’
The Vi-Brent initiative aims to reach more than 7,000 children and young people from ages four to 25 and over with a diverse range of art forms from immersive theatre to orchestral music, carnival arts and filmmaking. Brent-based artists, creatives and culture workers are invited to the project launch at Punchdrunk Enrichment Stores on 30 January to find out more about the project and how they can get involved.
Donnelly-Jackson, Councillor for Brent, said: ‘Vi-Brent will provide exciting new opportunities for young people to access culture, perfectly aligning with our Borough Plan objective of ensuring The Best Start in Life. By offering creative opportunities, we’re empowering young people to unlock their talents and potential, helping to shape a vibrant, inclusive, and dynamic future for Brent.’
This news item was first published in Classical Music, a fellow MA Education title. You can view the original item here.
