Case Study 1: “Orquestra Geração (OG)”

CASE STUDY 1 CASE STUDY 1 CASE STUDY 1

Orquestra Geração (OG)

Emerged in 2007 and aimed to develop a set of actions that would help combat factors of social exclusion, such as school absenteeism or unemployment, especially in the younger classes, which constituted the great majority of the population coming from other social disadvantaged neighbourhoods and rehoused in Casal da Boba. This project focused in the action and social integration through music and it was destined primarily to young people in social and educational vulnerability situations. By 2015, OG had already extended its activities to 18 public schools or clusters throughout the country (although mostly in Lisbon); involving approximately 1,500 young people (Mota and Lopes, 2017).

Project Fundamentals

The benefits of education through the study of arts and in particular through music have been widely demonstrated. Several studies have highlighted the benefits of music in education and the development of children and young people (Hallan, 2010). In general, the work on this theme emphasizes the effects on cognitive development - spatial intelligence, confidence, school success and creativity - whether physical - health and well-being - or social - gains in self-esteem, social cohesion and sociability revealed by the children and young people.

OG bases its methodology on the experience of El Sistema (ES) - National System of children and youth orchestras of Venezuela, created in 1975. Orquestra Geração aims to provide children from unfavourable conditions with an extensive and comprehensive educational program that will help their social integration. The OG system also aims to contribute to a more harmonious growth of children and young people by extending their life prospects and promoting social mobility through inclusion and school success as a whole. Therefore, OG also helps them gradually to build their personalities in order to prepare them to be able to choose, in the future, a profession away from marginality, crime and drugs.

They achieve these goals through musical education, especially orchestra playing, since working together

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for long periods during the week, makes them know each other better, respect each other and work with each other towards a common goal: the final public presentation. The project also aims to develop children and youth orchestras in schools with students from 6 to 15 years old attending elementary school.

How does OG work?

In the first year, the orchestra can go up to 30 students and the instruments are just string instruments. Classes take place in the premises of the selected basic school, in after-school hours. The orchestra teachers will be assigned/provided by Conservatory after authorization by the Ministry of Education for their hiring. In each school a Music Coordinator (under the responsibility of the National Conservatory) and a School Coordinator (teacher of the school, appointed by the headteacher) are named. The Music Coordinator will be responsible for the organization of the musical component of the project in the school and its integration in it, serving as a bridge with the available school structures, supported by the School Coordinator, responsible for the students, articulating the teachers, the school and the families. The case-by-case monitoring is critical to the success of the project, taking into account the analysis of the student’s behaviour (not to miss classes and academically successful at the end of the school year).

In the second year are introduced the wind instruments in the group of strings, the orchestra can admit 16 more students. The year ends with a one-week intensive workshop with all students and eventually with other orchestras. A public presentation in a reference space follows.

The third year marks the entrance of percussion instruments and the orchestra can go up to 50 elements. It also ends with a final workshop. In the remaining years the technical and artistic development of children and adolescents continues. When students reach secondary school, they have the opportunity to integrate one of the Municipal

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orchestras where they can continue to develop their artistic skills.

Aims and methods of our case study:

To evaluate the success of these practices/projects, we planned our investigation and collected qualitative and quantitative information, as follow: another field of opportunity, both for the pursuit of studies and possibly of a profession for some (a few, of course) students.

Increased Identity (children, families, community) | OG promotes new relational experiences and, above all, it reinforces not only the self-esteem of the

How

What happens with the students after the project? Does the project help to integrate them in society? This is a project, which includes music and this project is now occurring in several parts of Portugal. We want to know what is the role of the project owners and the success of their methodology in order to prevent exclusion of the young. 1. To know some statistical data about the students’ results before the project and during the project. 2. To read previous reports. 3. To interview students and teachers.

Why What

Findings:

Following closely the conclusions of the evaluation study of the OG, prepared in 2012 by Malheiros et al, they highlight a set of strengths as follows below:

Strengthening of general skills of children / youth | OG facilitates communication, encourages teamwork, the development of collective meaning and the ability to relate elements. In addition, by requiring discipline and individual effort, it allows important advances in motivation, interest, accuracy, meeting schedules and the self-esteem of students. It is worth highlighting the progress in the way children value themselves and, in some way, how they look at their future. In terms of impact on school results, they do not suggest there is a significant difference between OG children and their colleagues who had other activities.

Reinforcement of specific knowledge of children / youth | The OG strengthens specific knowledge in terms of music and helps to fill one of the Portuguese school system deficits, which is a limited offer of music teaching. In addition, OG contributes to open young, but also the self-esteem of families and even education professionals, especially music teachers. The connections to the school are strengthened and the logic of the participating and present school community is developed. A very important symbolic dimension of OG is the celebration realized in numerous public presentations. In fact, the great appreciation of the shows is a common feature to the vast majority of children and families.

Social development and inclusion | The OG creates (and in some cases materializes) different expectations of the future and awakens to improbable life projects in the social contexts of the students’ origin. In general, terms, it is an initiative that clearly contributes to the inclusion and empowerment of disadvantaged children (and even their families) and also to mitigate deviant behaviour risks, taking preventive action from very early ages (6 / 7 years old).

Citizenship | The OG encourages the personal and collective responsibility inherent in the way an orchestra operates, which facilitates the transposition of collective work principles and respect for colleagues to other contexts.

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