Sistema England Young Leaders is helping us find out what we can do for ourselves, so when we get out into the world, we are prepared. We need the music to be powerful enough that it influences change.
Cellist, Sistema England Young Leader

Sistema England is raising funds to enable 75 young musicians from communities facing challenges across England to come together for a one-week camp in August 2017 to build a national orchestra while developing musical excellence and leadership skills.

Who are the Young Leaders and why do they need support?

• 75 young people aged 10 to 18
• The most skilled and committed players amongst 4,000 young musicians in Sistema or ‘social action through music’ programmes 
• Currently 27 / 65 (41%) identify as from BME backgrounds
• Currently 32 / 65 (49%) entitled to Free School Meals (national average is 17%)
• Currently 60 / 65 (92%) are from backgrounds or communities facing barriers to opportunity

What is the vision for the Young Leaders Programme?

We want our music to shine, not our backgrounds.
Violinist, Sistema England Young Leader

The Sistema England Young Leaders orchestra aims to enable young people to ‘flip the script’ by becoming defined by the quality of their performances and not by their needs or the challenges they face. The Young Leaders camps help young people raise aspirations and build resilience through rapid musical progression with excellent teachers from the UK and abroad, inspiring rehearsals and performances, demanding and exciting repertoire and life skills sessions to prepare for the challenges of adulthood. Playing for the national orchestra is an honour and responsibility, and members are expected to give back to their community as mentors and role models. The Young Leaders describe their orchestra as ‘family’, and its ethos has become ‘Everyone Together Has Orchestral Spirit’.

What has happened so far?

October 2015 - 35 Young musicians launch the Young Leaders programme, with 5 days of immersive music learning in October 2015 in Norfolk with top teachers and mentors (including 2016 BBC Young Musician, cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason) from the UK, Venezuela and Portugal.

January 2016 - 46 Young Leaders are invited by the Southbank Centre to perform during the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra residency. They pledge to exercise leadership back at home, and are visited by Daniel Barenboim and Gustavo Dudamel.

March 2016 - The first meeting takes place with 8 Young Leader Reps elected by their peers, to help plan the next camp. They discuss ideas on welcoming new members and the ethos of the camp.

August 2016 - 65 Young Leaders, including wind and brass sections, attend the 7 day-long Young Leaders Camp, welcoming musicians from In Harmony Newcastle and In Harmony Telford and performing to baritone Roderick Williams, violinist Nicola Benedetti and the Malinslee community.

Some feedback from participants

I’ve learnt that you can do anything if you just put your heart to it. So, push on!
Clarinetist, Sistema England Young Leader

When we get back to our Sistema programme in September nothing is going to be the same. The camp has made a lot of changes to the way that we think.
Violinist, Sistema England Young Leader

This week made a massive impact on the students… Some not living at home, some with special needs, some who had never left home. By the end of the week all our kids were comfortable socialising with other children. On a musical level they pushed well beyond what they thought they were capable of.
Teacher