outreach
work – project manager
In
1994, Mark Messenger was appointed education projects manager for the
English Symphony and String Orchestras.
This was a relatively new venture for the organisation, and within a couple of
years, the players were involved in a broad raft of activities within the West
Midlands which were relevant both to the orchestra and its core activity, and to
the community they served.
Instrumental in this success story was the work of
Colin Riley
who Mark brought in as composer-in-association. In 1995, the ESO commissioned
from Colin Riley a youth opera, “Gulliver”. This project was heralded as best
practice within this genre as it was both musically challenging, but inclusive
to the whole community.
The ethos which underlines the many diverse projects
that Mark Messenger constructs and delivers is one of inclusivity. The
opportunities afforded by any such venture should be on going and have the
facility to have cohesion with other musical endeavours that already exist with
the area. Thus, his outreach work within Essex can be viewed holistically as
part of a ladder of opportunity that starts in primary schools, has cohesion not
only with school activity, but also with youth ensembles (for music specialists)
and youth group, through to support for A level projects and students within
Higher Education. Adult learning too is a crucial part of this structure, and
the dividends of this can be seen directly in enhanced audience figures for live
performances.
Consequently,
many orchestras, promoters,
local governmental
and funding bodies have sought advice from Mark on the construction and
delivery
of their outreach work. He was recently involved in a three-year residency in
Colchester, an association between the
Academy of St. Martin in the Fields and Colchester Borough Council.
Since his
appointment as artistic director for London String Quartet week he has done much
to construct and deliver an inclusive outreach policy as well as changing the
very nature of the concerts themselves. He is currently in discussion with the
Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea over a revival of “Gulliver”. His work
at the Royal College of Music underpins his commitment to education work and he
has forged links between the Royal College and many schools in London and the
Home Counties.
References from
Colin Riley
,
Academy of St. Martin in the Fields
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