YOUNG people from a community music and social change programme took part in a special concert celebrating another year of tackling inequalities in Dundee.
A total of 60 young musicians from Big Noise Douglas, all aged eight to 14, performed at Claypotts Castle Primary School on Saturday afternoon.
The event also featured a performance from Big Noise Douglas’ adult community choir.
They were joined by local politicians, community members, and Big Noise staff and volunteers.
Concertgoers enjoyed a variety of music, including renditions of the traditional folk song ‘Wild Mountain Thyme’, selected movements from Peter Warlock’s ‘Capriol Suite’, and Coldplay’s ‘Viva la Vida’.
Big Noise Douglas launched in 2017 and now works with around 600 children, young people, and their families every week, supporting them to reach their full potential.
Big Noise is a high-quality music education and social change programme, where the symphony orchestra becomes a community which supports children and young people to gain vital life skills such as confidence, resilience, creativity and aspiration.
Through music and nurturing relationships, from infancy to adulthood, Big Noise supports participants’ well-being and helps them reach their full potential.
The programme also strengthens the communities where it is based, and develops relationships with participants and their families based on mutual respect, trust and a commitment to work together and tackle inequalities for the long term.
Big Noise Douglas is delivered by the charity Sistema Scotland, which also runs similar programmes supporting more than 3,500 children and young people in the communities of Raploch in Stirling, Govanhill in Glasgow, Torry in Aberdeen, and Wester Hailes in Edinburgh.
The work of Big Noise is supported by a wide range of public and private funders, including the Scottish Government and players of People’s Postcode Lottery.
Andy Thorn, head of centre at Big Noise Douglas, said:
“We were so pleased to celebrate another fantastic year of Big Noise in Dundee with our summer festival in the Douglas Community.
“The event was a huge success, thanks to the performances from all our children and young people and the community choir.
“This has been a special year for Big Noise Douglas, where we’ve seen our young people become more confident and develop as young musicians.
“There have been many highlights, including launching our community trad band, a side-by-side performance with the RSNO at the Caird Hall, and inviting a new generation of P3s at Claypotts Castle and St Pius primary schools to join our after-school programme.
“Events like this help to show what Big Noise is all about – celebrating positive achievements and the potential in our amazing Big Noise communities.”
Amy McConnell, whose 10-year-old daughter Jessie is in Big Noise Douglas’ King Penguin Orchestra, said:
“The concert today was great fun. What’s better than bringing the whole community together – all groups, all ages and stages – and playing in the sunshine.
“Big Noise has given my daughter a lot of opportunities. It just brings so much happiness to her.
“She’s got a lot of confidence and self-belief from coming here on a weekly basis. She gets individual lessons as well if she is struggling at all.
“Jessie used to be in the Big Noise catchment school – but since she’s moved school, Big Noise have kept her on so she’s still able to play with her friends.”