About the programme
The World Voice programme aims to ensure that through training, collaboration and resources, young people have the opportunity to use singing to develop their musicality and support wider learning. It brings an international network of professionals together to ensure all children and young people across the world have access to singing education of the highest quality. The broad aim is to introduce music into the school curriculum.
The Aims of World Voice
- To share global expertise in singing education with classrooms globally and to promote an exchange of skills, knowledge and understanding between all participating countries.
- To increase knowledge and understanding of diverse cultures, with an emphasis on authenticity.
- To support colleagues from around the world who wish to learn more about singing leadership techniques.
- To provide a network for countries to forge long-lasting working relationships.
- To provide resources which teachers and young people can use in the classroom.
- To celebrate singing as a fundamental global expressive art.
World Voice in Bangladesh
The programme launched in Bangladesh in late August, following a 4-day singing workshop with students from Bengali and English medium schools across Dhaka. The workshops had a particular focus on inter-cultural awareness, where students learned a mix of English, Scottish, Senegalese and Bangla songs that explored values of different cultures, under the leadership of Dr. Thomas Ian Young, the Music Leader of World Voice. The initiatives of the World Voice Project is supported and encouraged by Ranjit Kumar Biswas, NDC, PhD, Honourable Secretary, Ministry of Cultural Affairs, and by the World Voice champion, Rezwana Chowdhury Bannya.
The programme has recently selected participants who will receive professional trainings from a World Voice International consultant. The five-day Master trainers' training is due to take place from 4 to 8 January 2015 at the BRAC-CDM in Rajendrapur. This is the first Master Trainers training taking place in Bangladesh after the successful project launch in August 2014 in Dhaka. This training will bring together a diverse group of 32 teachers from different schools across Bangladesh. This group of participants is inclusive of trainers and musicians from our partner organisation, BRAC.
The aim of the training is capacity building and skills advancement of participants with music and singing through the British Council Bangladesh World Voice programme. The workshop will offer an ideal platform for interaction, an exchange of best practices, experiences, song collections, opportunities and challenges in education through music. This interactive training will be conducted by Dr Thomas Ian Young.