Drake Music London Season 2008 will involve a series of workshops within three London schools, in collaboration with students from a London music college, which will lead to a commissioned piece of music for an ensemble involving every level of skill from beginner to virtuoso. The piece will take the form of a concerto grosso for virtuoso disabled musicians using real time performance technology; some musicians using conventional instruments and some using adapted instruments. The final piece will be written to take into account the skills of the specific participants and the intention is to challenge every performer. We intend to hold the final performance at the Museum of Childhood. Prior to the performance Drake Music will deliver a programme of education and outreach work with high artistic aspiration within three schools in London. Participants will form the ensemble for the final performance. Drake Music will work in partnership with the Tower Hamlets Arts and Music Service, and will work with either Special Educational Needs (SEN) schools, or SEN students from mainstream schools. Within each of the schools we will hold 6 workshops per school term, for the summer and autumn terms. Each workshop will be run by 2 Drake tutors, fully trained and assessed in the use of music technology. This will ensure that both appropriate care and welfare needs and educational leadership are provided for. The project aims to: • Raise the profile of music making using assistive technology, showing what can be achieved and what is available to group of young people who are normally excluded from access to music making. • Drake Music acknowledges that amongst non-disabled music-makers that are many different degrees of participation in musical life. We want to create similar opportunities for those with disabilities. • Create a lasting legacy by equipping teachers to teach traditionally excluded young people to play music. Benefits: WHO • Upwards of 40 disabled children form 3 different schools. • Teachers at the schools who will receive training in the use of assistive and music technology so that they can continue to deliver music workshops to their students. • The audience at the final performance who will be able to watch role models in action and thereby realise what can be achieved HOW • Potentially participants' first experience of music making • A service and an opportunity will be provided which is currently not available, opening doors for music education, potential qualifications and professional development. • Introduction to the existence of assistive technology and music technology for both teachers and participants. • Children can explore creativity, develop skills and increase confidence. • Disabled childrena dn young people will have access to the same range of musical opportunities as non-disabled children, overcoming disrimination and highlighting the possibility of inclusion. Due to the nature of our work within the fields of assistive and music technology and disabiltiy, our projects tend to be expensive. This project is time and labour intensive, but the benefits are incredibly valuable. We estimate that this project will cost in the region of £65,000 in total, the breakdown is as follows: Schools workshops: £10,000 Workshop overheads (equipment, travel etc): £4,500 Commission: £6,000 Music colloege sessions: £6,000 Project Manager: £7,500 Visual Artist: £10,000 Production costs: £13,000 Evaluation and monitering: £3,000 Administrative costs: £5,000 Contributions towards any or all of these aspects of the project would be hugely appreciated and will mean that young disabled people who are traditionally excluded from opportunities to access music and the arts will have a unique chance to do so.