The English National Opera’s FREE music making programme for schools nationwide; bringing a fusion of opera, film and animation into your classroom, as a creative springboard for composition work. Co-created with teachers and Secondary specialists and aligned with the KS3 Music curriculum.

 

Schools receive:

• A short film especially commissioned for young audiences, presenting the opera piece ‘Blue, Red, Yellow….’
• Teacher pack, with quick-glance lesson plans and resource pack of musical activities
• Student facing films to play in the classroom
• ENO Composer workbooks for your pupils
• Downloadable resources to support lesson delivery
• An online Project Briefing session for teachers, led by a Secondary Learning Consultant, introducing the opera piece and the activities & resources
• A Celebration Package including: ENO certificates, DIY Animation tool, and a congratulatory video message

Pupils will…

• Develop composition skills, learn about musical concepts and experiment with different instruments including the voice
• Develop performance and presentation skills, including the use of animation
• Develop more self-confidence and creative skills to confidently express themselves and their ideas and stories 
• Work collaboratively to create a new music response piece

“A unique project that has high expectations of the students as musicians which gives them confidence. They were engaged and inspired.”

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Teachers will…

• Access high-quality digital teaching resources and training materials, co-designed by Secondary specialists, artists and teachers
• Increase confidence in delivering whole-class composition work
• Be inspired and supported to explore and deliver new creative and student-led approaches to composition
• Further develop skills and creative music practice

“As a music specialist it gave me things to consider and do differently, Finish This is completely unique in its offer and is of an extremely high quality.”

Timeline

Step 1: Toolkit Package
You will receive a teacher pack with the lesson cards, a resource pack of musical activities, and access to an online hub with supporting resources and CPD videos.

Step 2. Project Briefing
You are invited to attend our online ‘Project Briefing session’. This will introduce you to each stage of the project, and run through each lesson and how you can use the resources, whilst providing a flavour of the creative activities, to ultimately support you with a confident delivery for your class. If you decide to deliver the project in the Spring Term, you can watch this recorded online session back.

Step 3. ‘The Hook’
In the first lesson, your class will ‘discover’ a special toolkit package from the ENO and find a mysterious envelope with a URL that leads to the film stimulus and operatic piece ‘Blue, Red, Yellow…’

The film, along with a letter from the ENO, sets the mission to step into the role of an ENO Composer. Working in small groups, your students are tasked to choose their own colour and bring this to life through music and text, to complete the end of the opera. They can use instruments, their voice and/or their body to create this music piece.

Step 4. Composer mission!
You will set your pupils a series of student-led musical activities, providing space for experimentation, and inspiring them to respond to the opera with their own chosen ‘colour world’ libretto and music. We provide you with all the support, classroom resources and guidance you need.

Step 5. Share & Celebrate
You are invited to submit one or more of your students’ music pieces to the ENO who will celebrate and showcase your classes’ music piece across our digital online platforms. This is optional, but it can be a fantastic way to feel part of the wider community of composers taking part in the project and provide a real sense of pride seeing their work showcased.

You will receive a congratulatory celebration package from the ENO with lots of ideas for ways you can share and celebrate the work in your school.

Take Part

Booking for the 2023-24 project delivery has now closed.

To express your interest for the 2024-25 academic year, complete this EOI form, or contact the Finish This… team on [email protected]