Educational & Family Projects Overview

Every year, about 6,000 children have the opportunity to attend educational projects as well as family concerts with their parents. The educational programmes are designed for all levels of education, from early childhood to early adulthood. They aim to offer suitably designed music experiences, promote aesthetic education and understanding, develop musicality, creativity and critical thought among youngsters, as well as to provide them with opportunities to develop their musical skills.

The educational programmes for primary and secondary education consist of:

• Visits to schools by the Orchestra’s musicians: small groups of musicians visit selected classrooms during music lessons. They present their musical instruments and perform excerpts from the programme of the educational concerts which follow the musicians' visits. Musicians often make music together with the children and encourage them to improvise their own music in small groups.
  
  
• Educational concerts in concert halls and small concerts at schools which take place in the morning, during school time. They are usually presented by a specialized music educator with musical interaction between the children and the Orchestra, a practice which encourages better understanding and enjoyment of the musical works.
  
  
• Multi-disciplined projects and major projects combining several art forms: in such projects the Orchestra collaborates with a Cypriot composer and a specific school. Emphasis is given on improvisation and the development of interaction and creativity. The project culminates in a public performance. Duration may vary from 3 days to up to 5-6 months.
  
  
• Family concerts for students (all ages) and parents which usually take place on Saturday afternoons. The musical works are presented by a specialized music educator with musical interaction between children, parents and the Orchestra.

The educational programmes for early childhood which consist of:

• Informative Educational Seminar for nursery school teachers which offer important information, knowledge and skills to the teachers, in order to be able to prepare the children for their participation in the programme.
  
  
• Preparatory music workshops for the children and nursery teachers, aiming to introduce the Symphony Orchestra and develop audience behaviour and active listening, musical appreciation and creativity and explore musical sounds, rhythmic motives and music forms.
  
  
• Educational concerts in concert halls which take place in the morning, during school time, aiming to offer the opportunity to children to enjoy a live performance by the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra, encourage their musical communication with the Orchestra and actively engage them in the performance of Cypriot folk songs.
  
  
• Family concerts for pre-school age children and their parents, usually take place on Wednesday or Saturday afternoons.
  

For more information about educational and family projects please contact Constantia Elia on +357 22 463144.