Pupils share their reviews of The Philharmonia Orchestra at Bedford Corn Exchange

Last October, young people were treated to a concert by The Philharmonia Orchestra at The Corn Exchange in Bedford. Bedford Creative Arts and The Philharmonia Orchestra partnered to reach a wider audience in the town, enabling many young people to experience a live musical performance.

Kayte Judge, who leads The Culture Challenge and has become a Community Ambassador for The Philharmonia Orchestra ran ‘The Guest List’ for the 2017/18 season, with the aim of reaching a more diverse audience, representative of our local community. Kayte was pleased that everyone included in the ticket ballot would be experiencing a classical concert for the first time.

Bedford pupils had the opportunity to attend a number of concerts at The Corn Exchange and one such pupil was Roxanna Forth, a pupil at The Hills Academy, and the youngest to come along with us aged just 8, and wrote us the following review:

“I went to The Philharmonia Orchestra concert with my mum and dad… It was like a wonderland and it made me feel so excited, happy and full of joy. My favourite part was the Virtual Reality because you could see how it happens and how they do it!!! …I do think people my age would like to go.  I think I could persuade other people by telling them all the exciting things that have happened, I would love to go again!”

Amongst the Bedford audience were also pupils from Shortstown, Cauldwell and Shackleton primary schools who have been participating in a weekly Culture Club Wellbeing Project via The Culture Challenge to expose pupils to many different creative art forms for their Arts Award Discover qualification.

For Bedford College student Bethany Stacey aged 17, the concert was also a formative experience. Attending on 30th January, Bethany explained that “seeing an orchestra live has a very different impact in comparison to hearing one on a recording. It was a very powerful performance. I was inspired by the concert and because of that I created a digital painting of Lucienne Renaudin-Vary in action. I am happy to have went to see the performance; it was a lovely experience!” We are pleased to be inviting Bethany to join The Culture Challenge for a work experience placement in the very near future.

Bethany's digital painting in response to The Philharmonia Orchestra concert
Bethany’s digital painting in response to The Philharmonia Orchestra concert

If you would like to know more about The Guest List, or to put your name forward to be included in the ballot, please email kaytej@bedfordcreativearts.org.uk.