THIS NEW ACTIVITY COMES AS PART OF TEN PIECES TRAILBLAZERS

TV presenter Ade Adepitan has teamed up with BBC Ten Pieces to help increase access to classical music for young persons with disabilities across the UK

WEBSITE: https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/ten-pieces

Released today as part of International Day of People with Disabilities, BBC Ten Pieces unveils a series of bespoke new films, in partnership with the BBC Philharmonic and Drake Music Scotland, designed specifically for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities settings and schools as never before.

This new activity comes as part of ‘Ten Pieces Trailblazers’, this year’s offering from BBC Ten Pieces which is showcasing composers and works that have redefined classical and orchestral music. Ten Pieces Trailblazers tells new stories and opens musical worlds, featuring composers and pieces that broke new ground and left an imprint on the musical world. The pieces convey that there is no one type of ‘classical music’ and no one ‘orchestral’ sound. This new activity now spotlights those trailblazing young musicians and organisations across the UK who are leading the way in SEND classical music education.

Taking Hans Zimmer’s Earth and Delia Derbyshire’s theme for Doctor Who – both of which feature as part of Ten Pieces Trailblazers – as inspiration, BBC Ten Pieces presents four new films and a range of accompanying resources and lesson plans to offer the nation’s young, disabled people the opportunity to get creative with classical music. The mainstream film for Zimmer’s Earth, released earlier this year now appears with British Sign Language interpretation as Ten Pieces continues its work around access and inclusion.

The films highlight the importance of on-screen representation and feature young people from Drake Music Scotland’s ‘Digital Orchestra’. Drake Music Scotland plays a leading role in making Scotland a place where ground-breaking new music featuring skilled musicians and composers with disabilities can be alive for everyone. Their work reshapes the definition of musicians, musical instruments and ensembles, building momentum as the country’s centre of expertise in inclusive music technologies and as an innovator on the international stage. As part of the film series, the Digital Orchestra presents its own creative response to Delia Derbyshire’s pioneering Doctor Who theme, alongside members of the BBC Philharmonic.

Since Ten Pieces launched six years ago, the scheme has reached over five million people across the UK. It now continues its inclusive work with BBC Philharmonic and Drake Music Scotland. These films will build on a body of outstanding teaching resources already available for teachers of SEND pupils. The films and resources are available now to view via the BBC Ten Pieces website.

TV personality, Ade Adepitan says:

I’m so happy to be supporting BBC Ten Pieces in its mission to make music accessible to kids all across the UK! I’ve been working with Ten Pieces to create some exciting new films for children with disabilities and learning difficulties across the UK to get creative with classical music. You should give them a watch! It was really fascinating making these films and learning Makaton. 

BBC’s award-winning, nationwide classical music education programme, Ten Pieces, opens the world of classical music to children aged 7-14. The scheme, which marks the biggest commitment the BBC has ever made to classical music education in this country, encourages young people to develop their own creative responses to ten pieces of classical music.

Supported by BBC Teach and BBC Music, the scheme gives schools across the UK access to an unparalleled bank of digital resources, which helps teachers navigate lessons inspired by the chosen pieces. Working with a wide network of cultural partners, participants are encouraged to exploit UK-wide events including the popular coaching scheme led by the BBC’s Orchestras and Choirs.

At the heart of the scheme are the creative responses from the young people it engaged with. Since 2015, Ten Pieces has showcased the true trailblazers: young people in classrooms across the UK’s primary and secondary schools, youth ensembles and community centres led by dedicated teachers, arts organisations and volunteers. Ten Pieces is proud to have generated powerful, moving and uplifting artistic ideas from young people nationwide ranging from animation, visual art and writing, and composition.

Ten Pieces is a project delivered by BBC Music and BBC Learning in conjunction with the BBC Orchestras and Choirs. Schools can find out more information on the Ten Pieces website: www.bbc.co.uk/tenpieces