UEFA Women's EURO 2022 Cultural Programme

UEFA Women’s EURO

Cultural Programme

Introduction

In July 2022, England staged the UEFA Women’s EURO football championship. The phenomenal success of the tournament, and most especially the final triumph of the Lionesses, inspired a generation and captured the heart of the nation. For the first time ever, The Football Association (FA) ran an arts and heritage programme alongside a tournament and we were delighted to have the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at the centre of this. Their outstanding work, led by seven female workshop leader/composers at varying stages of their careers, engaged, enthused and encouraged communities across all our Host Cities, putting them at the heart of the celebrations. This ambitious programme has not only left each city with their own stirring anthem but also supported a legacy of cultural leadership, civic pride, positive role modelling, and joyful memories. We are grateful to all the workshop leader/composers, project officers, musicians, local Music Education Hubs and community groups who made this programme such a success and look forward to seeing the ongoing impact of the online resources.”

“

The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) was thrilled to have the opportunity to work with The FA and partners across the 10 host cities to devise, create and deliver this inspirational project. It has shown, yet again, what we already know: orchestral music enriches and resonates with all aspects of our daily lives. You can see from the feedback from our partners and participants how making music has brought communities together and created memories to last a life time.

“

Caterina Loriggio

Arts and Heritage Lead, UEFA Women’s EURO 2022

Key

Beautiful Game

Anthem for the tournament

Beautiful Game is an anthem that celebrates the whole UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 tournament, written by British composer Shirley J. Thompson OBE. The lyrics were inspired by words and phrases that were suggested by local residents, community groups and school pupils in host city workshops, as well as through a national online call-out for lyrics.

Highlights:

• 97 singers from across the 10 tournament host cities travelled to Cadogan Hall in London on 31 May 2022 to record the anthem with the full Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

• Singers ranged in age from 6 to 85+ and came from a range of sport, music and community groups representing each local area.

• Composer Shirley J. Thompson OBE conducted the Orchestra and massed community choir.

Click below to watch the video:

The recording was played pre-match and at half-time at all tournament matches, reaching at least 95,666+ listeners.

“

All that attended had the most special day and really appreciate all that you have done for our community groups. Perhaps you aren’t even aware of the impact that the workshops, concerts and [the recording day at Cadogan Hall] have on those that are lonely, living with mental health or dementia.”

Download resources to learn and perform

Game here

Choir singer and community group leader

Momentum

Concerto for Football and Orchestra

To celebrate the occasion, composer Shirley J. Thompson OBE also created the first ever concerto for football and orchestra. Momentum challenges participants to be the soloist: bounce, juggle or tap a football in time with the rhythm along to full Royal Philharmonic Orchestra backing. Performed alone or in a group, the piece encourages fans to get creative and practice their rhythm and coordination skills, useful in both football and music.

A demonstration film featuring former Lioness Fern Whelan and members of the Brighton and Hove Albion FC Girls Academy is available to watch on the RPO YouTube Channel, along with a simplified version which can be performed sitting down.

Click below to watch the video:

Download resources to learn and perform Momentum here

Host City Anthems

Each city hosting matches for the UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 football tournament received a series of participatory workshops with members of the RPO and local workshop leader/composers to create bespoke anthems celebrating their communities, cultures, women’s footballing histories and WEURO2022. Workshops engaged diverse community groups such as football teams and supporters’ clubs, amateur musicians and grassroots organisations, as well as the general public through ‘pop-up’ events in town centres. Participants were supported to try out instruments and come up with rhythms, melodies, lyrics and ideas, with many engaging with group music-making for the very first time. Local traditions took centre stage during the creative process, with steel pans, theremin, rap and Soundbeams all contributing to host city anthems in addition to orchestral sounds.

Brent

Anthem Title: We Stand Together

Workshop leader/composer: Rosie Bergonzi

Highlights:

local musical traditions ranged from St Michael and All Angels Steel Pan Orchestra and Brent Black Music Co-op to song-writing students from the Institute of Contemporary Music Performance (ICMP).

Local community partners included Jason Roberts Foundation, Unique Community’s Brent Youth Theatre and Silver Jubilee Park, with workshops reaching residents young and old and including dementia and mental health support groups.

final anthem was performed by community participants and RPO musicians outside Wembley Arena as part of the culmination event for the Women’s EURO 2022 Cultural Programme on 30 July 2022.

Brighton & Hove

Brighton & Hove

Anthem Title: Dare to Dream/Queens of the Field Workshop leader/composer: Sam Mason

Highlights:

• A workshop with New Note Orchestra, the world’s first orchestra supporting adults recovering from addiction, provided the opening melody for the song as devised by a participant playing a theremin duet with an RPO trombonist.

• PE pupils at Hove Junior School used bouncing footballs to create the anthem’s rhythmic patterns and football chants.

• Workshops with The Network of International Women and A Seat At The Table and pop-up events at Brighton Museum reached a broad range of residents of all ages.

• Public performances at the Fan Party in Victoria Gardens on a Lioness match day involved young musicians, members of the Choir with No Name and local school pupils.

“It was a fun, enthusiastic, joyful evening, thank you! Today enabled everyone to join in, feel part of and create something wonderful.

Click below to watch the video:

Download resources to learn and perform the Brighton & Hove anthem here

Hounslow

Anthem Title: Here to Rise

Workshop leader/composer: Detta Danford

Highlights:

• Year 3 pupils from Reach Academy created two football anthems in just one afternoon, performing both to an audience of c.50 family members and school staff.

• Partnerships with Gunnersbury House Museum, Brentford FC Community Sport Trust, Hounslow Music Service and two local libraries ensured a broad range of local residents participated.

• Over 60 singers from Hounslow Town Primary School choir learned and performed the anthem with Hounslow Music Service’s Big Band and RPO musicians to an appreciative audience at an Inwood Park sport and music celebration event.

thanks for this opportunity for our children.

feel thoroughly proud to be able to be part of this, and to link in our community organisations as part of the project with the

School music teacher

Click below to watch the

Manchester

Anthem Title: Raise the Game Up Workshop leader/composer: Alice Phelps

Highlights:

• Women’s football legends Margaret Shepherd, Margaret Whitworth and Jan Lyons, all former players who continued to compete at the highest levels during the FA ban on women’s football between 1921–1971, attended workshops where they met young footballers and shared inspiring stories of their careers.

• Five local schools participated in composition workshops, including St Patrick’s RC Primary School whose pupils took part in the very first workshops for the area and re-joined members of the RPO on stage for the final performance at the Manchester Fan Party.

• Royal Northern College of Music students and staff also supported the project, taking part in the local Fan Party and lecture series events.

“People in our area don’t often get opportunities like this. It’s so important that we get our voices heard, and that we all support the women playing the game.

Click below to watch the video:

Download resources to learn and perform the Manchester anthem here

Milton Keynes

Anthem

Workshop leader/composer:

Highlights:

Harding

300 unsuspecting members of the public learned about the upcoming tournament through pop-up workshops and instrument trials

popular shopping outlet Centre:MK.

full-day visit to the Chrysalis Theatre at Camphill, a supported residential centre for adults with learning difficulties, incorporated creative lyric and music ideas from residents.

claims to fame

including delivery robots and concrete cows –

ingeniously incorporated into the final piece through participant

Rotherham

Anthem Title: We Are One

Workshop leader/composer: Charlotte Harding

Highlights:

• Opening lyrics were devised by Kelford Special School, where pupils also participated using adaptive instruments such as Soundbeam and Skoogs.

• Drop-in workshops on indoor pitches at Rotherham Football Centre engaged young footballers and their families in pitch-side music-making, while giving RPO musicians a taste for the game.

• The beautiful Rotherham Civic Theatre played host to a number of public workshops, also engaging members of the Rotherham Young Producer programme.

• The final piece was performed by RPO musicians, Rotherham Town Brass Band and community singers at a match-day Fan Party during the summer heatwave, with the day also including a conga drum play-off between France and Iceland fans.

loved it! So inclusive

joyful. And plenty of

to play around

a

Sheff ield

the

leader/composer: Charlotte Harding

Highlights:

• A day of workshops on the Sheffield Tracks project, part of Sheffield Music School, saw participants create an eight-verse rap anthem in less than six hours, including choreography.

• The unique Sheffield dialect was diligently replicated in the piece, as overseen by local residents participating in pop-up workshops at Meadowhall Shopping Centre.

• A creative afternoon at Highfields Adventure Playground engaged young children and their families in jam sessions on a range of instruments.

In addition to public Fan Party performances, the final anthem was performed for visiting UEFA and FA dignitaries at a celebration event at Sheffield Cathedral.

children and families LOVED it! I am such a passionate advocate for providing our community (which struggles with issues of endemic poverty and disadvantage) the

to engage

Music tutor

Southampton

Anthem Title: Standing Proud

leader/composer: Sam Mason

Highlights:

• The first workshop of the entire RPO Women’s EURO project took place at Shirley Library in mid-February, engaging local ‘Rhyme Time’ children and parents with footballs and percussion instruments.

• Local Premier League football fans and cruise-goers contributed to public events at Westquay Shopping Centre, learning about the history of the women’s game and the upcoming tournament.

• Two former women’s footballers attended a workshop with an intergenerational choir to shape words and phrases to reflect their experiences of the game.

• A massed play-along day with Southampton Music Hub engaged young musicians of all instruments and abilities with the final piece.

Anthem Title: People Together

leader/composer: Raye Harvey

Highlights:

• Public drop-in workshops celebrated the opening of the new Timperley Library, including a visit from the local mayor.

• Local arts centre Gorse Hill Studios introduced the project to families and looked after children.

• A day in Cumbria as part of Trafford Music Hub’s residential weekend allowed young musicians to orchestrate music and lyrics from earlier workshop participants.

• St Alphonsus RC Primary School participated from start to finish, with pupils taking part in the area’s first workshops and performing the final anthem with RPO musicians in the match-day Fan Party at Old Trafford Stadium on the opening day of the tournament.

Highlights:

Wigan & Leigh

Anthem

Something to Believe In Workshop leader/composer: Alice Phelps

• A variety of local music traditions fed into workshops, including Astley Community Choir, Astley Brass Band, Wigan Youth Jazz Orchestra and Wigan AgeUK Choir.

• 16 schools across Wigan & Leigh participated in massed workshops hosted at Leigh Sports Village with a view of the tournament pitch.

• An afternoon of workshops at the Museum of Wigan Life surrounded by historic sports memorabilia engaged young female footballers in the writing process.

• Singers and instrumentalists of all abilities from The Westleigh School learned and rehearsed the piece alongside RPO musicians ahead of their own performance at a Fan Party event.

Fantastic experience just round the corner from where we live. We don’t get many musicians in Leigh so a great experience for my daughter.” Workshop participant

Panel Series

Sounds and Stadiums

During the tournament period, the RPO and Sound Voice curated a series of panels across all ten host cities exploring the ways in which the worlds of music and sport intersect. 34 experts, covering a wide range of expertise and experience in both fields, participated in the series. They discussed topics including sports psychology, women’s history and the role of sport and music in community wellbeing, bringing to light many of the similarities and opportunities for both sectors.

The panel events also included live performances and demonstrations by RPO musicians, local performing artists and athletes, reaching a diverse audience via livestream and in person events, with recordings made available online through July 2023.

Watch each of the panel events here: