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Music Generation Kerry inspires national programme
Brietta Kerins
Music Generation Kerry
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2022 was an exciting year of growth and collaboration for Music Generation Kerry. Kerry’s countywide music performance education programme is led and managed by Kerry Education and Training Board (Kerry ETB). Programme activity expanded exponentially, with over 2100 children and young people accessing a Music Generation school, hub, ensemble each week.
Ukrainian communities populate the Kingdom
From February 2022 onwards, Music Generation Kerry sought to engage with the Ukrainian community, providing many instruments for children whose instruments had to be left behind. These efforts led to a unique and powerful initiative in collaboration with Festival in a Van and Kerry County Council in the summer of 2022.
Festival in a Van
Irish Times journalist Gemma Tipton created Festival in Van’s mobile concert space to facilitate Covid-friendly festival performances in small villages and towns throughout Ireland, a huge success. With support from Kerry County Council, Festival in a Van and Music Generation Kerry collaborated to create shared Ukrainian/Irish performances in two locations on May 15th 2022. Music Generation Kerry musicians rehearsed and performed with Ukrainian musicians, and the shared nature of the performance gave rise to many memorable moments over the course of the day.
The birth of a national model
Festival Director, Gemma Tipton, details the birth of this initiative in collaboration with Music Generation Kerry in an article written for The Irish Times on July 24th.
Festival in a Van returned to Kerry in August and undertook a three-day tour of seven venues with six Music Generation Kerry artists and many more Ukrainian singers and players to coincide with Ukrainian Independence Day. The response at each venue was incredible, with much hospitality shown by the Ukrainian community and many important connections made. The singing of the Ukrainian national anthem was a moving experience for all and a fitting climax to a wonderful 2022 initiative.
