Orchestra for Social Inclusion/Orquestra para a Inclusão Social – Aprender Música Plenamente
Associação Cultural e Musical de Avintes – ACMA
Portugal
ACMA aims to create an orchestra with socially disadvantaged children and young people, creating a privileged space for socialising, sharing affections and responsibilities, and promoting a sense of community.
The project aims to promote the social inclusion of economically disadvantaged and socially excluded children and young people, combat school failure, bring parents closer to their children's educational process and promote access to musical training, which is only possible in this way.
As a way of integrating into a barrier-free, more tolerant and inclusive society, this project provides free music lessons for children and young people from disadvantaged families living in Gaia. This social intervention strategy is a form of personal transformation, since learning music and a musical instrument reduces social risks, absenteeism, boosts self-esteem and consolidates personal talents at the service of a community. Ensemble practice will result in the formation of a youth orchestra. The creation of the orchestra is justified by the fact that it uses music as a tool for social and cultural development, as it requires its members to work with responsibility, motivation and commitment, and contributes to the creation of bonds between members of the community. It is an innovative form of social inclusion through culture and art, as it allows children to be socialised to be included in the formation of individual and collective personality. The process of empowerment will take place through their active participation in internal auditions, public performances and individual assessment recitals.
Public performances within the community in which they live will be an excellent tonic for all those who live with them and an example to follow. The project therefore identifies 3 main actions to be carried out: free music lessons for children and young people from the most disadvantaged families in the community; setting up a youth orchestra; auditions, concerts.