Sing Up Bedfordshire will form an integral part of a wider three year vocal strategy being developed for the County of Bedfordshire (excluding Luton). In addition to school-based delivery opportunities, Sing Up Bedfordshire will aim to develop a strong community delivery element that will target particular areas of need within the County, meeting some or all of the following criteria:

• Areas of social and/or rural deprivation
• Areas with limited public facilities and/or transport links/infrastructure
• Areas in which significant impact upon 'Every Child Matters' outcomes such as 'enjoy and achieve', 'be healthy', 'be safe' can be affected
• Areas in which projects can enhance extended schools' agenda outcomes
• Areas which because of their fringe nature do not quite meet key criteria to qualify for other local or national initiatives such as Education/Music Action Zones

The initial areas selected for consideration for inclusion in vocal community projects are: Goldington/Putnoe, Kempston and Dunstable/Houghton Regis although the project aims to further investigate areas of need to ensure delivery is targeted where it is most needed in the County.

Sing Up Bedfordshire aims to offer specialist school-based vocal provision to all County lower and middle schools with a particular focus on those children in key stage 2. In addition to school-based opportunities Bedfordshire aims to develop a strong community delivery element that will target particular areas of need.

Aims and Objectives

• To provide high-quality musical opportunities to engage children and young people in singing activities in and out of schools, enabling them to experience the joy of singing with others
• To help children and young people find and develop their singing voices and build their skills, confidence and self-esteem
• To improve the quality of singing in County schools
• To facilitate/establish self-sustaining community vocal groups tailored to the needs of the community celebrating the cultural diversity of that area through music using singing as a bridge across the lines of race, culture and religion
• To develop vocal provision models that enable children and young people to access material that is musically of high quality via teaching/leadership and learning that is challenging and rewarding
• To provide a number of regular school, community and collaborative performances throughout the project's duration to promote and encourage singing with others
• To support individual development through the outcomes of Every Child Matters
• To engage/collaborate with established Bedfordshire Music and community groups during the project
• To begin to impact upon a reduction of school exclusions

For more information, please contact:

Lee Stanley