The Urban Villages Initiative[1] within the Northern Ireland Executive Office have provided £42,000 to fund delivery and a quasi-experimental study of Crescendo with over 400 children across 8 primary schools. The project will see four new primary schools in the Colin and Shankill areas contribute to the study in addition to the existing four Crescendo schools. This project will have the a number benefits: It will provide the Crescendo programme to over 400 children; it will provide evidence of Crescendo’s effects on early year music skill development and social learning outcomes; and expand the network of schools linked to Crescendo to nearly all the Primary schools in the Colin and Shankill areas.

In addition, the Network for Social Change[2] has provided £20,000 to fund expansion of the Crescendo programme within the existing four primary schools. The funding will see older primary school children (P4-P7) receive the programme in the Colin and Shankill areas. Both of these expansion projects bring us closer to our mission to:

“Ensure that children in Greater Shankill and Colin areas have a quality experience of music throughout childhood leading to better outcomes for them, their families and their communities.”

 

[1] https://www.executiveoffice-ni.gov.uk/articles/urban-villages-initiative

[2] https://www.thenetworkforsocialchange.org.uk/