News and Events
2,012 Together - We Did It!
Government Minister supports Marching Youth Bands
South African Field Band Foundation at World Cup
First to gain leadership awards
Musique project gets Youth Music grant
Financial support
2008 National Conference Report
Federation Needs New People With Special Skills
2,012 Together - We did it!
From Sheffield to Somerset, the Isle of Wight to the Wirral, and from Prestatyn to Poole, marching youth bands all over the country rose to the challenge.
On what was probably the toughest weekend of the year for bands because of the start of school holidays, small and large ensembles played to thousands of people. Many bands used ‘hands on’ workshops to recruit – and several reported potential new music makers, with one reckoning they will welcome 17 new members into their next rehearsal.
As one long-time leader said “Marching Youth Music Month and its finale this year - 2,012 Together- are great opportunities offered by The Federation that are ‘hooks’ which bands can exploit to their own advantage, as there are all too few opportunities nowadays for us to appear in front of the general public and excite youngsters to join”
As photos come in, we will post on the Federation’s Web site – some are already on London 2012’s Open Weekend facebook site - www.facebook.com/london2012openweekend
Government Minister supports Marching Youth Bands
Full list of bands taking part and their location >>
The Country’s marching youth bands take up the 2012 Open Weekend Challenge Government Minister Sends Support.
At precisely 11.00 am on Saturday July 24th the drums of Marching Youth Bands all over the Country will strike up as they become part of the ‘2,012 Together’ nationwide challenge to get 2,012 young people to play live music with marching youth bands as part of London 2012’s Open Weekend. Supported by BP the Open Weekend is a series of sporting, arts and cultural challenges set up across the UK to lead the nation into the two year countdown to the start of the London 2012 Olympic Games.
This country-wide challenge, organised by the national charity ‘Marching Youth Music’, has been awarded the coveted Inspire Mark by London 2012 and involves youth marching bands from 29 counties.
The Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP Minister for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport has sent the UK’s youth marching bands his best wishes “..... I would like to congratulate you for the foresight in adopting a development strategy aligned with the London Olympics .... I am pleased that Marching Youth Bands are taking part in Olympic Open Weekend this year with [an] ambitious challenge .... my best wishes to Marching Youth Bands throughout the UK”
Drums, Saxes and Sousaphones will he heard all over the UK. The seaside promenade in Cleethorpes will see an ensemble from East Coast Elite striking up, and the historic stones of Stonehenge will rock to the sounds of Bournemouth’s Air Training Corp Band as they take a break from their journey to a gig in Devises. Market Squares in the Isle of Wight, Lincolnshire, Worcester and Bedfordshire will be livened up with bands such as Medina, Marxmen, Spalding Ambassadors and Upton Fusion trumpeting their unique sounds.
The Priory Campus in Burnley, Spring Park School in Croydon and Ingrebourne School in Essex are educational campuses that will host The Company Drum and Bugle Corps, Nautical Training Corps TS Endeavour, and Romford Drum and Trumpet Corps. Town Centre shoppers in Kingston, Dartford, Poole, Prestatyn and Cleckheaton will be entertained by Surbiton Royal British Legion, Talbot Corps of Drums, Blazing Sounds and Spen Valley Scouts and Guides.
Manchester’s 3rd Davyhulme Scout Band will be combining with the Dutch Band ‘Eigen Hulp’, Devon and Somerset Air Training Corps Flight band will take to the field at Taunton FC. Cheshire’s Poynton Commodores will play on the steps of their Civic Hall, and the vibrant Kinetika Bloco will be at London’s Royal Festival Hall. Brentwood’s Royal British Legion Band will be outside the studio of Baytree Phoenix FM, and Concord from Sheffield will be at The Moor as their whole city celebrates Open Weekend.
With the support of BP, Premier Partner of the Cultural Olympiad and long-standing supporter of arts and culture in the UK, Open Weekend will take place every year until the start of the London 2012 Games.
Now in its third year, Open Weekend enables everyone across the UK to share in the excitement of the 2012 Games and actively celebrate the two year countdown by challenging themselves to trying something new or taking an interest to a further level.
2,012 Together joins with hundreds of other Open Weekend challenges – ranging from learning a new dance an hour before it is performed, to talent contests, learning stonemasonry skills to creating sundials to 3 kilometre relay races through unusual places, sports days and guided bicycle rides. There is an opportunity for everyone to challenge themselves to discover something new or take an interest to another level.
The Federation’s Jim Vaughan says “ This is a great opportunity for bands to raise local profiles, recruit through the ‘hands on’ workshops, and bring our unique activity to the attention of London 2012”.
London 2012 is the first Organising Committee to create such a wide platform of public participation in the Games, taking the values, ideals and benefits of the Games to people and communities like never before. Opportunities such as London 2012 Open Weekend are encouraging participation and recognising the contribution people, places and projects are making to the success of the 2012 Games.
Open Weekend is part of the Cultural Olympiad and this year’s event follows the success of the last two years, which has enabled over 1 million people to take part in sport, arts and cultural events across the length and breadth of the UK.
For further information: E. marchbands@aol.com W. www.marchingbands.org.uk
South African Field Band Foundation at World Cup
Since our founding thirteen years ago, the Field Band Foundation (FBF) has grown tremendously into a mature and goal achieving non-profit organisation, whose dream is to dramatically impact the lives of our economically challenged and often misguided youth through cheerful music and dance. With our incredible forthcoming 2010 FIFA World Cup performances, the FBF gains an opportunity to soar even higher and achieve global exposure.
Our objective at the FBF is to attract youth from socially and economically challenged communities. Through the magic of an exciting and creative activity we can bring about positive change, giving our students the ability to end their cycle of poverty and meaningfully shape a constructive future. Our FBF Academy is the substructure on which the Field Band Foundation aims to fulfil each member’s emotional, spiritual and intellectual needs. targeting the youth between the ages of 7 and 21 all from various socially and economically challenged parts of South Africa. Through the power of music the FBF stimulates, excites and empowers the youth.
The many difficulties faced by our members include: 61.2% of their parents being unemployed, or living in child headed households, as 1.8% of them do. Before joining the FBF 92.7% of our members had no access to arts or music and our members average age is 15.5 years old. However, on a positive note, the FBF has expanded and now boasts 38 field bands countrywide with 4000 members from 297 schools in 114 townships. With results such as these, the invaluable change to each member’s life is proof that the FBF is both very necessary and a success.
The FBF is fortunate to have a productive and close relationship with the Norwegian Band Foundation, (http://www.musikkorps.no) whose steady commitment over the years has had a massive impact; contributing to our overall growth as an organisation and greatly enriching the experience and lives of our children. We are fortunate as this association allows the FBF to undergo continuous external evaluation, helping in providing a constant challenge for us and a standard to live up to.
The FBF was delighted to be given the honour of playing a part in the 2010 FIFA World Cup celebrations. Being given the opportunity to be part of an event that means so much to their country, is more than these young people could ever wish for and acts as a personal reflection to each student of their remarkable progression - considering the many difficulties they have faced.
The FBF has performed in the 100 and 50 day countdown celebrations. FBF will also provide training for around 370 of their members to participate in the prestigious opening event. Another 60 Field Band members will also be given the duty of leading performers from the rehearsal area to the stadium at the start of the proceedings on 11June. To conclude, they will also perform at the world cup closing ceremony, the format of which is shrouded in secrecy. This association with the 2010 FIFA World Cup will undoubtedly boost the confidence of the young men and women, becoming an experience and memory never to be forgotten.
18 FBF members will also be part of the IFAS production of “Les Grandes Personnes” during the 2010 FIFA World Cup and the Grahamstown Festival.
We passionately believe in the astounding impact that the discipline of music and dance has on our youth. With our field bands in full action over the world cup period, we will have a chance to show the world our youth’s amazing talent.
Visit us at www.fieldband.org.za or contact: Retha Cilliers on 083 775 4348
First to gain leadership awards
Photo: Matthew Kemshed of Liberty Drum and Bugle Corps, Northampton.
Stacey completed units in Leadership and in Performance, and Matthew in Leadership and Administration. Each completed a folio which included certified evidence of children and young peoples’ development and how this influences their participation and progress in marching bands, plus leadership and teamwork skills. Stacey’s Performance unit included solo and ensemble playing, and Matthew’s Administration unit included strategic planning and budgetary control over a designated period.
The Federation launched this course with the Open College’s support, following agreement by member organisation representatives that this was a major activity requirement to support development and sustainability. Stacey and Matthew are two from a cohort of 23 leaders and supporters who began the course in 2009.
All participants have to attend an introductory day introductory seminar and then record what they do within their bands and corps in a folio of evidence. This folio is then externally verified by the Open College Network. The Federation is keen to stage additional introductory days for groups of leaders and supporters. This works best if 15-20 people from a number of different units can attend. A summary of the course appears on the Federation’s web site www.marchingbands.org.uk and further details can be obtained from Jim Vaughan on marchbands@aol.com As initial funding for this course has come to an end, the current cost for each person is £20, which is the registration fee that has to be paid to the Open College Network.
Musique project gets Youth Music grant
Following January’s ‘whole activity’ conference in Leicester, the Federation has been working on a Youth Music grant application to deliver one of the suggestions made by discussion groups during the day.
It has just been announced that The Federation will receive a £29,700 grant to deliver a pilot project to encourage bands and corps to liaise more actively with the wider music community.
Working in areas identified by Youth Music, four bands have agreed to pilot this initiative –Medina from the Isle of Wight, Concord from Sheffield, Upton from Worcestershire, and Essex Marching Corps. They will be tasked with working closely with a music professional from their area and also taking their band’s expertise into schools and other community groups. The overall aim is to raise the number of ‘new music makers’, and to further strengthen leadership and the musical abilities of band members
The Federation’s Jim Vaughan says “MUSIQUE has been one of the toughest grant applications I have been involved in because of quite specific criteria demanded by Youth Music, and will be a real challenge for the four bands. The Federation is very grateful for their co-operation”.
During the course of the 16 month grant period the Federation will publish the experiences of each band with the aim of encouraging other bands to follow similar routes towards successful involvement with their local music makers.
This is one area of progress made since January’s conference. The draft of the ‘whole activity’ four year strategy – provisionally titled ‘Marching2012’ will be sent to Conference delegates for consultation in October, aiming for final publication in early December.
Financial support
The Federation is to receive financial support from the John Ellerman Foundation over the period 2008 - 2010 This is to assist with strategic development, including communication and training. The first task will be to update our data base. We have also moved the main office of the Federation into a newly opened community centre, which will be able to provide office services and meeting facilities. Funds will also be used to support the Federation’s accredited leadership training course enabling it to operate at no cost to band leaders.
2008 National Conference Report
Michael McKeever, Headteacher of Trinity School in Nottingham. David Sulkin, Director of Policy and Programmes for 'Youth Music' and Paul Brookes, Creative Programmer 2012 Olympiad, East Midlands.
The Conference provided a unique opportunity for leaders, support staff and for marchig members to listen to knowledgable experts from outside of the activity, to discuss their contributions, and to then feed back the views of their bands to the Federation. The Federation will now work with its member organisations to create a 'whole activity' development strategy for 2008 with the aim of creating a lasting legacy of 'more kids in more marching bands'
Photo
Federation Chairman John Boyington introduces Paul Brookes, Olympiad Creative Programmer East Midlands.
New People With Special Skills Wanted For The British Federation Of Youth Marching Band Organisation’s Future Development
We are keen to recruit new Trustees, and young specialists in the early stages of their careers. People with skills in the following:
- Finance and Funding
- Communication
- Marketing
- Training
- Business Administration
During 2009 the Federation received funding from the John Ellerman Foundation to contract the National Council for Voluntary Organisations to undertake an operational review of the Federation and its role within the UK–wide marching youth band activity. One aspect identified was the need for additional Trustees to be appointed that have the specific skills to take the Federation into its next stage of its development. This will be in addition to the skills and experience of existing Trustees that have steered the Federation since 2010.
2010 is the 10th anniversary of the Federation, and Officers of the National Board have decided that the best way of celebrating this is to move forwards with this NCVO recommendation with the aim of further developing a sustainable strategic role into the future.
Many local, regional and national charities publicly advertise for specialist Trustees and this is the first step along this route. It would make sense for new Trustees to have experience in the activity, but we are anxious that this does not weaken either any band or any of our member organisations by any new Trustee undertaking too many tasks within the activity. New Trustees could come from outside of our activity. Band leaders and member organisations will we hope be able to help us identify new Trustees for the Federation and are asked to make this paper known amongst respective parental and other support groups.
In all cases the new Trustees must have a strong belief in the value of youth marching bands for the individuals who are members and for the communities in which they meet and perform. All Trustees must have a wide appreciation of all styles of performance within the UK youth marching band activity.
Length of experience is not essential as the Board is also keen to include young people who have qualifications in any respective area – for example those who have recently begun careers in marketing, finance or business - who wish to use this national voluntary experience to further their career development and who might or might not want the full responsibilities of trusteeship.
All posts are voluntary with expenses paid dependent on the level of funding achieved. The basic roles that have been identified are listed below. Each is naturally interdependent on the other, and some roles may need to be divided depending on the expertise offered and tasks that are identified. The new posts listed below are not in order of priority.
Finance and Funding
Someone with proven experience in successfully identifying revenue opportunities and in securing and monitoring grants from a range of sources.
Communication
Someone with the knowledge to review and extend the Federation’s communication strategy
Marketing
Someone with the knowledge to further develop marketing strategies in support of the UK-wide activity
Training
Someone with the knowledge and experience to further develop the current OCN accredited leadership course and other training opportunities for leaders, instructors and young members.
Business Administration
Someone with the knowledge and experience to review and develop the administrative support offered to the whole activity.
Applicants for these voluntary posts should apply by letter or e mail identifying the role for which they are most interested, what they can personally offer, and some examples of how they think the post could be developed. Please indicate the name and addresses of one referee. Applicants are advised to view the Federation’s website www.marchingbands.org.uk. Those interested should respond by May 31st. It is then anticipated that a meeting of interested parties will be held in late June or early July. (CRB certification applies to these roles).
