Arts Council England
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New radio play for families

An innovative collaboration between Prime Theatre, Salisbury International Arts Festival and BBC Wiltshire has brought together 400 primary pupils in a new radio play that was broadcast earlier this month.

“We have such a wonderful time bringing well-loved songs to today’s children. The enthusiasm and energy from everyone involved has made a really memorable and unique programme for all ages.”

Mark Powell, Artistic Director of Prime Theatre

Singing Together is the story of a choir of World War Two evacuees coming to Swindon and being billeted all across the county.  Eight young actors from Prime Youth Theatre and three professional performers joined with 15 schools from Wiltshire and Swindon to record the play.

The schools all learned nine folk songs such as Cockles and Mussels and Wild Rover as part of the sixth month project supported by Wiltshire Music Connect, Wiltshire’s Music Education Hub.  The traditional songs were recorded in April at Wiltshire Music Centre before the final play was recorded in BBC Wiltshire studios.
 


Singing Together recording, Prime Theatre. Image © Marcus Lilley. 

The radio play, part of the 2016 Ageas Salisbury International Arts Festival, was broadcast onBBC Wiltshire on Monday 6 June at 11am and has since been available on BBC i-player.

Playwright Vicky Ireland, MBE worked with Julie Davis, Community History Advisor at Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre to include regional settings that actually hosted young evacuees.

“This project is a vital part of international music heritage.  Whoever came up with this idea deserves a knighthood!”

Douglas Coombs, BBC Singing Together producer (1968-88)

Singing Together was originally the name of the longest running BBC Schools radio programme and ran for almost 60 years from 1939 when it was created to bring a sense of community to the nation’s evacuees.

Toby Smith, Director of Ageas Salisbury International Arts Festival said, “This project is a digital first for us all. We’re thrilled we can share it even further with a BBC radio broadcast and for a whole month on iplayer.”

Kathrine Hume, head teacher at Crudwell Primary School added: “This project has given our children a link to other generations and an idea of how songs have developed over time. The songs will live on for us past the radio play and into a school concert too.”

Find out more

You can find out more about Prime Theatre here, Ageas Salisbury International Arts Festival hereand more about our National portfolio organisations here.

You can also sign up for our e-newsletter to find out about funding, what we’re up to and how you can get involved in making the case for art and culture.

 

Channel website: http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/

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