Multi-award winning musical director of
Hamilton and
The Greatest Showman Alex Lacamoire, prima ballerina Dame Darcey Bussell and comedian Greg Davies are among scores of leading arts professionals involved in a ground-breaking virtual arts school for young people led by King Edwards VI High School for Girls.
Over 110,000 school children signed up for TuneUp Tuesday on 24
th November, a celebration of the arts and their positive impact on young people’s mental health and wellbeing. The free, one-day event featured teaching and careers advice from some of the industry’s biggest names, plus scores of streamable performances from top companies including Shakespeare’s Globe and the RSC.
The event is the brainchild of the new principal of King Edward VI High School for Girls, award-winning musician Kirsty von Malaisé and the school’s Director of Drama Hannah Proops, a theatre director and former professional puppeteer.
Citizen Khan’s Adil Raye OBE,
Line of Duty’s Ali Natkiel and Maya Sondhi,
Ghosts actor and screenwriter Martha Howe-Douglas, music producer for John Legend and Jay Z Mr Hudson, artistic director Michael Grandage and percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie are among other big names who offered their expertise.
“TuneUp Tuesday is a nationwide campaign to encourage and inspire young people of school age to consider and believe in a career in the arts and the theatre,” award-winning playwright and TuneUp Patron James Graham OBE explained. “Our particular landscape can feel precarious, but that won’t always be the case. When we open up, we will need lots of brilliant, inspiring young people to come and forge careers and take jobs in our really exciting sector”.
“Children have been through so much and the arts industry has suffered considerably during the pandemic,” explained Mrs von Malaisé. “With many school extra-curricular activities severely restricted in this second lockdown, we wanted to give schools and young people an easy and safe way to do something vital together. We decided to launch TuneUp to affirm the power of the arts, particularly at this time, and to uplift us all by bringing us together in this celebration.”
Schools across the Foundation took part in TuneUp Tuesday, beginning with an online assembly featuring musician and mental health advocate Yshani Perinpanayagam. “During these turbulent times, it is so important that everyone feels they can access music and its ability to help us express what we may have thought was inexpressible.”
Head of Art Miss Palmer and Head of Music Mrs Hoey from King Edward VI Handsworth Wood Girls Academy organised a photography scavenger hunt. Students were asked to find and photograph 'something pink', 'something alive', 'something fluffy' and 'something warm'. Pupils searched far and wide and did not fail to deliver, with many creative and diverse responses.
Subject Leader for Art and Design at King Edward VI Five Ways School, Mr Piggot created a video focusing on art as mindfulness therapy. Year 13 student Amelie explained how she explores her other subjects in a wider and more independent way through her artwork. Amelie spoke about art therapy and mindfulness, finishing by sharing a line art piece, which was made available on
social media for people to print and colour in.
Year 7 watched an online zine about Black Lives Matter, creating their own mini 'protest posters', whilst Year 9 heard from people in the industry about how they achieved their roles. They created graphic design concepts for music album covers and posters, helping them to understand how their projects in art could lead to careers.
Scores of participating schools took to social media to share their experience of the day, posting photos and videos of their pupils taking part. From reception class dance routines to lighting design workshops for secondary physicists, there was something to inspire all ages and disciplines.
“We were bowled over by the enthusiastic uptake and the volume of posts on our social media. Our industry might be suffering now but, at the same time, arts are the shining light that is keeping us all going and making us feel connected,” said co-founder and former Disney puppeteer Hannah Proops. “We want to build on this momentum by launching TuneUp as a national arts outreach network. Our goal is to provide a virtual platform for all schools across the UK in the delivery of arts curricula and activities, offering resources that will foster creativity in the next generation.”
TuneUp will continue over Christmas with themed activities for schools and ideas for pupils to try at home in the holidays. Schools and artists can find out more at
www.tuneup.life or via Twitter @TuneUpArts.
