Nova scholars shine in Green Love!
Scholars at Nova Hreod Academy joined together virtually with thousands of their peers from across United Learning to watch themselves in the online premiere of Green Love! Songs to save the world.
Green Love! is an ambitious music and performing arts project designed to develop pupils’ musical talents and encourage them to think more about the environment and how, together, we can protect it. The project culminated in the professional production of a unique thirty-minute film, featuring performances recorded in the 40 schools involved.
Last academic year, pupils at Nova Hreod Academy immersed themselves in the world of music and dance, enjoying in-school rehearsals and virtual, group-wide Green Love! assemblies delivered by The Voices Foundation and Beat Goes On. Collectively, they learnt six original songs inspired by sustainability and composed by celebrated musicians Alexander L’Estrange and Joanna Forbes L’Estrange, as well as accompanying body percussion rhythms. Having mastered the lyrics and foottapping rhythms, pupils recorded their final in-school performance in the Summer Term.
To celebrate their hard work, pupils enjoyed an early premiere of Green Love! on Friday afternoon. This was followed by a ticketed online showing in the evening, where pupils’ friends and families were able to watch the special performance, held in support of Ibba Girls’ School in South Sudan. The film is available to watch on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/EGXiLXxEgSg
Tom Griffiths, Head of Music at Nova Hreod Academy said: It was a brilliant opportunity for scholars to be part of the Green Love! project and they thoroughly enjoyed taking part. The topic of climate change inspired some excellent classroom discussions and provided scholars with a chance to reflect on their environment and how it could look in the future.
Year 8 student Emma said: Being involved in the Green Love! project really made me think about the impact we are having on the environment. We learned the songs as a group and individually at home, the rhythms were quite challenging but fun to do, and the words made me think more about the subject. As a result, I joined the school’s Green Team, which is focused on promoting awareness of environmental issues in school.
Catherine Barker, Head of Music and Performing Arts at United Learning, said: “Congratulations to all our pupils who took part in Green Love! Each and every one of them gave a superb performance, which has not only led to the creation of a fantastic film but has, I’m sure, inspired us all to help tackle climate change and lead more sustainable lives.
“As our schools return to normal ways of teaching and learning, this virtual production is testament to how pupils and teachers alike can join together during times of difficulty to spread awareness about an important cause and foster their creativity. It’s an incredibly inspiring feat that everyone involved should be immensely proud of.
“Thank you to all our teachers and support staff who showed such enthusiasm in delivering Green Love! to our young people, and likewise to our longstanding partners Joanna and Alexander L’Estrange, The Voices Foundation and Beat Goes On who made the project such a success. Ensuring our young people have access to opportunities like this is all part of how we deliver an Education with Character at United Learning and I am very much looking forward to seeing how we can build on this for the future.”
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