With the aim of exploring new ways of engagement between arts institutions and diverse local communities, the British Council and London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) have been jointly running 'Discovery for 2021' since 2018.
In the first stage of this project, which took place in August 2018, Rachel Leach, LSO workshop leader and composer, trained a group of professional musicians in Japan to develop the skills and confidence necessary to lead a creative music making workshop for a diverse audience. Following the training, the Japanese musicians, joined by two LSO musicians and Rachel Leach, lead a series of workshops and engaged with diverse groups (a mixed group of children of different ages and levels of musical experience; disabled children at a day care facility; and older people, including those living with dementia, at a care facility) to collaboratively create a piece of music. On 29 September, coinciding with the LSO's Japan tour, they performed their newly composed piece in front of an audience.
