Viva Pushes Out The Boat for Derby Family Arts Festival

Viva Pushes Out The Boat for Derby Family Arts Festival

Derby-based regional orchestra Sinfonia Viva are inviting families to join them on a high seas adventure at a special family concert at Rolls-Royce Heritage Centre on Sunday October 25 starting at 2pm.

‘The Boat & The Blue’ has been commissioned by Viva as part of the national Family Arts Festival and is ideal for children aged under five and their families.

The afternoon concert tells the story of a young girl’s wonderful adventures – setting sail with Rowan and her paper boat into an ocean teeming with marine life.

Presented by composer and guitarist Jack Ross, and accompanied by twelve Sinfonia Viva musicians, the concert will feature new music written by Jack, as well as a host of orchestral favourites to give the audience a flavour of a life on the ocean wave and the creatures who live there.

The story is further brought to life by the wonderful illustrations of visual artist, Eleanor Meredith, whose stunning live drawings and animation will be projected on a big screen behind the orchestra.

Before the concert, there’s the chance to explore the Rolls-Royce Learning & Development Centre, and to discover more about the engines and manufacturing that allows man to dive deep under the oceans to explore the undersea world.

In preparation for the performance, Viva has held taster workshops at Becket Children’s Centre and Play & Learn Day Nursery in the city who have been involved in Family Arts Festival projects for the past two years.

Sinfonia Viva Education Manager Marianne Barraclough explained: “We have worked with pre-school children for the past two years as part of the Derby Family Arts Festival and these were a huge success.

“The workshops are designed to introduce the pre-school children to the story and music and also to help the staff there feel more confident about incorporating music into their play and education sessions.

“The children love learning about the story and making their own music and they will again be invited to the concert alongside the general public.

“Previous concerts have been a sell-out - highlighting that there is a gap in the market for a high quality performance with elements that can be enjoyed by the whole family.”

‘The Boat & The Blue’ is supported by Rolls-Royce plc, Derby City Council and Orchestras Live. Sinfonia Viva is supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.

Tickets for ‘The Boat & The Blue’ are available from the Derby LIVE, Tel: 01332 255800; www.derbylive.co.uk

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