Sing outside the box project

www.SingOutsideTheBox.eu

Sing outside the box?

Questions behind the project

Scope of the project?

• Scope of the project: contribute to an evolution in the whole field – The ensembles are very diverse, from very traditional to very innovative in their practices and methods, with a majority staying in between – SOTB is not a revolution for the happy few, but a slight push towards evolution for the majority

SOTB inspiration

Audience development • Aim: bring more people to discover collective singing as – participant in singing activities – as audience of concerts or events.

• A multilayered strategy – More diversified choice of venues for concerts – Better integration of modern stage technique in the conception of the concert programme – More coherent and attractive concert programmes, including improved concert dramaturgy – Enhanced strategies to reach out to non-audiences – Enhanced strategies to involve non-singers

For whom?

Target group

For the

Aims of the project

Direct

Choral professionals

Discover new approaches Access some tools and methods Get training

Intermediate

Singers

Access to activities that better suit their expectations and lifestyles Get training

Final

Non-singers

Be convinced that singing is also for them!

Become passive and/or active audience.

(conductors, composers, organisers, etc.)

(general audience)

How? • Public activities in the project – EuroChoir 2017 and 2018 • Shared conductors (Cycle 2016 to 2018) • Specific work on choreography, unusual venues, lights • Link with EC festival 2018 (final concerts in Tallinn)

– EUROPA CANTAT festival 2018 • Ateliers for singers • Conductor‘s and composer‘s Programme • Concerts

– Conference 2017 and 2018 • Dissemination and interaction

The partners Coordinator: • Estonian Choral Association | EE Partners: • ZIMIHC | NL • SULASOL | FI • European Choral Association – Europa Cantat • Co-funded by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union with 200.000€ over 24 months

EuroChoir 2017

EuroChoir 2017

What we Needed: •PEOPLE •STUFF •KNOWLEDGE •SKILLS

EuroChoir 2017: the singers • 88% had at least some experience with choreography • 50% participated in a similar ‘singing bootcamp’, 35% in earlier EuroChoir editions • 100% were familiar with performing without scores

EuroChoir 2017 Singer’s self -evaluation of their musical level 1

3

9

ok

12

good very good excellent professional Preparation of the scores at home: on average, a 5.8.

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EuroChoir 2017 • The rehearsal period • Akoesticum (5 days) – All-in-one – Singers’ award: 8.1 (9.7 for rehearsal facilities)

• Intensive days – 10 AM til 9 PM (with breaks of course) – 8,5 hours (6,5 hours edition 2016)

• Try-out • Day-off in Amsterdam, concert of Netherlands Chamber Choir • Moving to Utrecht (5 days) – Singers’ award: 7.1 (8.2 for rehearsal facilities)

Singing outside the box: lights & choreography • 55% felt it added to their concert experience – “It was very refreshing not to always stand in a still position for a whole concert”

• 30% felt it did not, or detracted from, their concert experience – “I feel like we could have done a better job musically without the choreography”

Some extra stats • The singers felt the concerts were a 9.0 • The singers awarded the repertoire a 7.8 • 92% went home with new ideas 3 or a new vision for their choirs • 81% of the singers liked the final performance in Utrecht the best • 100% met new friends that they want to stay in contact with: I will see them again I'm sure I'll be in contact with them Not sure we'll meet again

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EuroChoir 2017 • Audience reviews (n=81) – – – –

Questionnaire after the concerts to be filled in by participants On average, the audience gave the concerts a 4.8/5 91% thought the concert differed from others they usually visited Most often named reasons: • Beautiful choreography • High level of the singers

– On average, this audience had visited 14 choir activities in the last 12 months – Important note: 55 of these respondents were singers themselves

EuroChoir 2018

• The EuroChoir 2018 – The conductors of this edition will be Maria van Nieukerken (NL) and Mikko Sidoroff (FI).

– The rehearsals and first concerts will take place in Helsinki, and the EuroChoir will move to Tallinn to perform at the beginning of the EUROPA CANTAT festival and allow the singers to also take part to the festival!

EuroChoir 2018 • FUEL FOR THE SUCCESS OF THE PROJECT – Inspiration and enthusiasm of the young singers – The venues in Helsinki and Tallinn – Imaginativeness of the artistic direction (Mikko and Maria) and close co-operation between the conductors.

– Co-operation with choreographer Nick Fleuren – Belief in the project and daring to step out of the comfort zone

EuroChoir 2018

• MORE AUDIENCE? – Audience needs to get happy experiences of Choral Music ► ”Positive Core memory” – Important: reaching people who don’t know or understand choral music.

– Flashmob – Media visibility – The music must be “easy” (not cheesy) to understand ►High quality and musical challenges must be maintained

EuroChoir 2018 • WHAT DO WE SING? – Program approximately max 60 minutes, selected by Mikko and Maria – Simple enough to learn at least the majority of pieces by heart. The program includes also some pieces from EC-editions 2016 and 2017 – Sound fields, which would be easy to learn and maybe teach to the audience as well ►transitions between the pieces in the program

EuroChoir 2018 • WHAT DO WE SING? – Improvisation – New composition (?) ► with co-operation of the local (children’s) chorus?

– Musical theatre and drama ► story behind the program – Movement and singing (choreography) – Some elements are possible to do also inside the box

EUROPA CANTAT 2018

Find your way outside the box 13:30 > 15:00 Plenary session – Conference hall 15:15 > 16:15 choose your session!

•Stephan Lutermann | Singing and scenic performance - Conference Hall •Timurs Tomsons | More audience for classical music - Room L-332 •Jan Schumacher | EUROPA CANTAT festival, out of the box! – Room L-333 16:15 > 16:45 Coffee break 16:45 > 17:45 choose your session!

•Get out of your box! Panel discussion – Conference Hall •Panda van Proosdij | Choireography - Room L-332 •Sonja Greiner and Raul Talmar | Audience development in the choral context Room L-333 18:00 Bus to the hotel