Cranleigh School to host Chineke! Orchestra at Diverse Culture forum

Cranleigh School is delighted to be hosting the world-leading Chineke! Orchestra for a concert on May 13th.

Before they perform at 7.30pm, we will also be hosting a forum and panel discussion co-chaired by Claire Mera-Nelson, Director of Music for the Arts Council and Mahaliah Edwards, Musician, Educator and Advocate for change. Claire and Mahaliah will be joined by Roger Wilson, Director of Operations, Black Lives in Music, John Stephens, Senior Lead for Curriculum, Surrey Arts Trust and Sam Stimpson, EDI partner, Surrey Arts Trust.

We, along with our speakers and performers, are keen to convene key regional education and arts leaders to look at making our schools more inclusive through the lens of music and performance. The Forum will include talks and discussion with the intention to facilitate change.

We warmly invite you to join us for the forum and concert, which will also include a world-premiere of a Concerto by Jill Jarman, with soloists Chi-chi Nwanoku OBE (double bass) and Dame Evelyn Glennie (percussion).

An agenda and timings appear below, with some more information about Chineke!, BLiM and Surrey Arts. If you would like to be involved, or would like to nominate another member of your team to join, please RSVP to schoolsforum@cranleigh.org. There are limited places available and we expect this to be well attended so please respond early to secure your place.

Agenda

2.30pm: Registration opens, refreshments available

3-3.10pm: Welcome and introduction: Richard Saxel, Director of Music, Cranleigh

3.10-3.30pm: Claire Mera-Nelson: Diversity in Music and the need for change

3.30-3.50pm: Roger Wilson: Black Lives in Music and the impetus for change

3.50-4.10pm: John Stephens: Countywide strategy and how schools can respond

4.10-4.20pm: Sam Stimpson: Organisational change

4.20-4.40pm: Mahaliah Edwards: Taking the first steps to change

4.40-6pm: Panel discussion, Q&A, breakout groups

6.pm-6.15: Summing up

6.15-7.15pm: Networking over bowlfood and drinks

7.30pm: Chineke! concert

About the Chineke! Foundation

The Chineke! Foundation was created in 2015 to provide outstanding career opportunities to established and up-and-coming Black and ethnically diverse classical musicians in the UK and Europe. The Foundation’s flagship ensemble, the Chineke! Orchestra, comprises exceptional musicians from across the continent brought together several times a year. As Europe’s first majority-Black and ethnically diverse orchestra, Chineke! performs standard orchestral repertoire along with the works of Black and ethnically diverse composers both past and present.

About Black Lives in Music

Black Lives in Music addresses the current inequality of opportunity for black people aspiring to be artists or professionals in the Jazz and Classical music industry. Black Lives in Music believes in real equality for Black people to learn musical instruments at grassroots level and to allow them to pursue and realise their musical ambitions. The organisation is made up of a number of partners who are all working towards the same goal: to dismantle structural racism in the music industry.

About Surrey Arts

The aim of Surrey Arts is to increase people's interest and participation in the arts throughout the county. In partnership with other organisations, they offer support, tuition, and advice to people of all ages and abilities in areas such as music, singing and choirs, drama, dance and visual and performing arts.