With many seasons of acclaimed achievement to its credit, The Bridgewater Hall has established itself as one of the world's leading concert venues. No less important, this significant work of contemporary architecture and technology has proved itself an important community and educational resource for the city and the North West region.
Mission
The Bridgewater Hall Community Education Trust exists to maximise the
educational potential of Manchester's world class concert venue through a wide
range of projects, programmes and activities which take the building and its
rich artistic life as their stimulus. The initiatives supported by the Trust
give opportunities to school and college students, community groups and individuals
of all ages and abilities as well as arts organisations and educational institutions
from Greater Manchester and across the Northwest.
The Trust's work is designed in line with the following principles:
Whenever appropriate, the Trust will collaborate with other local or national
agencies and professional artists.
As well as exploring the magnificent architecture a the Hall and working closely
with the education departments of the resident groups - the Hallé, BBC
Philharmonic and Camerata - the education programme enhances festival activity
at the Hall, and provides support for concert activity and other artistic initiatives,
whenever possible.
A Message from David Dunn, Chair of Trustees
`The Bridgewater Hall Community Education Trust is perhaps one of Manchester's best kept secrets. Since its opening the Bridgewater Hall has established itself as one of the world's leading concert venues. However, this new building also exists as a significant work of contemporary architecture and technology in a dynamic city. The Trust was set up in 1996 with the main aim to ensure that the Hall and the facilities of this beautiful building became an important community and education resource. Since then the Community Education Trust has risen to the challenge by creating great projects, forming successful partnerships throughout Manchester and enjoying many, many successes.
The Trust's work takes place both within The Bridgewater Hall and through wider education programmes in Greater Manchester. Over the last 9 years we have worked with thousands of young people and hundreds of teachers to enhance their enjoyment and understanding of many different types of music, dance, creative writing, contemporary design and much more. Our work is not only confined to the young. Projects for adults include the daytime Bridgewater Writers` Group and a lunchtime concert series for the enjoyment of older members of the community.
These pages aim to give you a taste of the work of The Bridgewater Hall Community Education Trust and to celebrate the achievements of the people of the North West who have been such a vital part of our success.`
David Dunn
Chairman of The Bridgewater Hall Community Education Trust
Stops Away
Led by organ animateur, Daniel Moult and Peter Davison,
Artistic Planning Consultant at The Bridgewater Hall, this project has been
a successful collaboration with Manchester Schools Music Service over
the last three years, to give access to The Bridgewater Hall's £1.4m magnificent
Marcussen organ.
Daniel leads composition workshops in schools and at the Hall, culminating in a public presentation attended by over 1000 school children. Designed as pilot project, the work is funded currently by The Pilling Trust and the Royal College of Organists to develop educational tools, such as an interactive DVD. Building on the success of the project, the project leaders are exploring ways of cascading the model into other venues.
A Little Bite Music
These excellent free lunchtime concerts take place in the Stalls
Foyer of The Bridgewater Hall from May to September and allow anyone who is
passing to take time out for a few well-deserved minutes to soak up the atmosphere
of the Hall and treat themselves to a 'little bite music'.
This exciting series of concerts is not restricted to one particular musical style, but offers a wide variety of music-making. An important part of the concerts is to include fine young musicians on the threshold of their careers. The tremendous success of A Little Bite Music has made the series an important part of the musical life of the Hall and the concerts have been enjoyed by thousands of people since the Hall opened in 1996.
Live Music Now!
Live Music Now! promotes around ten concerts a year at The Bridgewater
Hall. A national organization, Live Music Now! was founded by Sir Yehudi Menuhin
and aims to bring music to those with special needs. The Bridgewater Hall hosts
several concerts each year in the Barbirolli Room with around 750 children attending
the series, either as audience or participants.
`Absolutely brilliant! We very much appreciate that the interaction between
the musicians and the 'audience' was pitched at the right level for our children.
Most of the children would never have the opportunity to listen to live music.
They were also able to appreciate the beauty of the building and were awe struck.`
High Birch School, Rochdale
Step Up 2005
Schools Arts Festival
Based primarily at The Bridgewater Hall but working with venues around the Northwest in Bolton, Dalton-in-Furness, Lancaster, Liverpool, Manchester, Saddleworth and Salford and now in its fifth year, Step Up is a 10 day festival crammed full of performing, visual and media arts by the Specialist Arts Colleges and Artsmark schools of the Northwest.
Top arts organisations and educators come together for the longest schools' arts festival in the world - along with over 100 schools from the north west. More than 70 events, including stage performances by young artists, workshops for all ages and training for teachers, takes place over the first 10 days in July - in what is believed to be the longest arts festival for schools in the world.
The Trust is delighted to support events such as this, where members of the Manchester community can showcase their talents, and participate and perform with professional artists in and around the spectacular setting of The Bridgewater Hall.
The Future
As well as building on our achievements and continuing to offer the successful
projects described in these pages, we can see a whole range of exciting possibilities
opening up in the future.
We want:
To continue our work with young people including those with special needs.
To offer exciting and stimulating daytime activity to older people.
To bring as many people of all ages and backgrounds in contact with The Bridgewater
Hall and offer a range of quality experiences including music, dance, creative
writing, new technology and architecture.
Singing
There are great opportunities to develop singing in the Hall in many different
forms and involving many different styles and cultures. We intend to develop
partnerships with, amongst others, the Royal College of Organists and local
music services.
World music
We are keen to develop world music and to give a diverse range of people the
chance to experience and enjoy a wide range of music and cultures from across
the globe including folk, klezmer, jazz, South Asia and China.
Building on the tremendous success of our Organized! concerts, where we provided
an entertaining and unusual introduction to the organ aimed at children aged
7-11 and their parents, we would like to establish a programme of high quality
performances in the Barbirolli Room for 3-7 year olds and their parents. We
feel not enough opportunities exist for very young children to become familiar
with the world of professional music, dance and theatre and believe that the
Trust has a role to play in this area.
Daytime activities for the older community
We would also like to stage daytime concerts for older people, given by young
performers such as students from Chetham's School of Music and the Royal Northern
College of Music.
We also intend to continue to work with the Royal College of Organists in developing
new and exciting opportunities with the community to appreciate and develop
their understanding of our wonderful organ.
Talks, lectures and tours
Demand continues unabated for talks about the life and construction of The Bridgewater
Hall and tours of the Hall continue to be as popular as ever. This remains a
very necessary and worthwhile part of the Trust's activities.
Partnerships
The Bridgewater Hall Community Trust works in collaboration with many
other business, arts and education organisations in Greater Manchester.
We work in this way to maximise the number of projects we can offer and to continue
to increase community awareness, enjoyment and usage of The Bridgewater Hall.
We currently work in partnership with the following organisations:
Manchester City Pride
CAPE (Creative Arts Partnerships in Education)
Salford Education Business Partnership
Egerton Park Arts College
Manchester Metropolitan University
CUBE
The Whitworth Art Gallery
Manchester Museum
Manchester Camerata
Hallé
BBC Philharmonic
Live Music Now!
Drake Music Project
Band on the Wall
If you would like to know more about the work of The Bridgewater Hall Community
Education Trust please ring Emma Cunliffe on 0161 950 0000 for further details.