We want to thank all those Harpists who participated in this years Harpython to help raise money for our Harps in Schools Project (full story below). Also a big thank you to our donars whose generosity enabled us to raise a total of £2294, including doantions that came direct o Glasbury Arts and Gift. This has enabled us to commit to a third year of teaching in our exprimental project at Gwernyfed High School

Glasbury Arts started a pilot harps in schools project in partnership with Gwernyfed High School in February 2020, to demonstrate the educational, cultural and wellbeing value to young people of playing the iconic national instrument of Wales. Because of the COVID pandemic, 4 weeks after the start, the first lockdown occurred and the project ground to a halt. We managed to get it operating again once schools returned but a few weeks later another lockdown occurred. This time thanks to the generosity of donors to the last Harpython we were prepared, and transferred teaching online as well as providing starter harps to enable each student to work and practice at home. We also raised enough money to add a second year.

Although schools, in what are defined as deprived areas, receive additional joint Welsh Assembly Government and Arts Council Wales grants for music, a relatively small number of state schools in Wales offer harp tuition as part of the curriculum (and limited other music tuition), primarily because of the cost. This is the same reason families on low or average income (the majority) cannot afford to do so privately, either. If it were not for fee paying schools, harp playing in Wales would die out.

Our harps in schools pilot scheme is a very small beginning but this year we are aiming to raise enough money to add a third year at Gwernyfed plus additional hours and to begin the process of expanding it to at least two more schools. When life starts to open up again as vaccination deals with the COVID-19 virus our arts programmes for young people and adults alike will be needed more than ever.