PLAYground Orchestra Returns for 2023
We were delighted to reunite Draíocht's 29-piece PLAYground Orchestra this November & December.
After the huge success of Draíocht’s PLAYground Orchestra Project - which reached 7,000 children, aged 4-13 years, in twelve Dublin 15 primary schoolyards last Christmas – we are thrilled to reunite this 29-piece impressive orchestra and return to 9 more D15 Primary Schools again in May.
PLAYground Orchestra creates an unexpected, fun and extravagant ‘pop-up’ musical engagement experience for children and young people, through the placement of an impressive 29-piece orchestra right into the spaces where children play - into their school's playground. This placement allows both children and musicians to play alongside one another.
All performances are “pop-up” in design, occurring during the children's yard/play time, ensuring that the children and young people are not expecting the performances to take place. This element of the project allows the children to engage with a greater autonomy than a traditional auditorium setting may allow - their yard space allowing them the freedom to move, sing and dance in an undirected manner.
Teachers of participating schools will be invited to use specifically designed resources that will support them to link the performance with the music element of the curriculum. It will also equip teachers with the vocabulary and knowledge to facilitate classroom discussion/conversation after the performance.
Placing a live orchestra outside its usual spaces, creates an outreach model that allows, for many young people, a very first experience of an orchestra, an exposure to a wide range of instruments, and an incredible experience of live music. It also creates new spaces for music and musical performance. For schools and the community, it feeds into the development of aural literacy, critical thinking and local creative discourse.
Applications Now Closed:
This is a whole-school outdoor concert available to book for FREE by Schools in Dublin 15. Please contact Paula Quinn, Children & Youth Arts Administrator, paula@draiocht.ie / 087-197 5190 to check that you meet the criteria.
The Project has been created by Draíocht in collaboration with Shay Lally of The Mobile Music School with funding from Fingal County Council and the Local Live Performance Programming Scheme from the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.
