Thanks to the valued support of Legal & General the Community Development Programme has evolved

Thanks to invaluable support from Legal & General, Reigate & Redhill Choral Society's Community Development Programme has evolved from its origins in the Ticket Taster scheme (enabling hundreds of local schoolchildren and elderly to attend RRCS concerts as audience) through the introduction of Soundbite Workshops (enabling children from both local primary and secondary schools to receive specialist training and performance opportunities alongside RRCS) to Cross-Arts Schemes (featuring local secondary students choreographing, designing and performing micro-ballets with live orchestral accompaniment).

2008/2009 witnessed the launch of a Development Recording Project (involving around 200 performers including pupils from three local secondary schools), the Platform Scheme (a programme for for Secondary School pupils run as part of Surrey Choral Festival, and designed to enhance their performance skills, knowledge and enjoyment), and Cre8tion (a project which involved around 200 young people in the creation of new visual art works inspired by music).

2009/2010 saw the successful delivery of Soundbites (involving 160 secondary, tertiary & adult participants), Festival of Carols (involving 230 primary, adult and professional performers in a festive celebration), Platform (involving 230 secondary, adult & professional performers), Cre8tion (involving 177 secondary school students) and Ticket Tasters (involving 211 primary and secondary students).

2010/2011 also saw continued success.  View the report here (pdf)

2011/2012 saw continuation of the schemes established in 2010/2011.

2012/2013 has witnesses the launch of an exciting new scheme of work, entitled Music & Wellbeing. Read some of the excellent coverage of the Workplace Choirs' public debut performance at the 2013 Surrey Choral Festival on the Surrey Mirror website.

The Legal & General Community Development Programme has been developed to achieve the following aims and objectives:

• ACCESS: To help greater numbers of individuals from the community develop through music
• COLLABORATION: To strengthen links with other organisations in the community
• BREADTH: To combine innovation with tradition presenting new and unusual repertoire alongside mainstream works with particular emphasis on British composers
• COVERAGE: To improve provision for those isolated by limited provision or other circumstances
• AWARENESS: To increase awareness of the value of participation and enjoyment of the arts
• QUALITY: To promote high-quality artistic experiences
• EDUCATION: To enable individuals to strengthen, develop and extend knowledge, skills and experiences

Reigate and Redhill Choral Society are grateful to Legal & General for their continued support.