Founded in 2013, El Sistema France currently consists of three centres in the east (El Sistema Alsace), the west (El Sistema France Grand Ouest) and the south (El Sistema-France Opéra Méditerranée) of France.
And, in early 2017, the Franco-German TV network, ARTE (Association Relative à la Télévision Européenne), broadcast a documentary filmed in the first of these centres, at the Angreviers primary school near Nantes.
This hour-long documentary looks at how the programme is getting on, discussing its origins and shining a light on the experiences of pupils, parents and pedagogues.
In the course of the documentary, viewers get to see not only how the children are progressing with their musical instruments but also how their experience of playing together has improved their self-discipline, concentration, self-confidence and teamwork.
Watch the ARTE documentary on El Sistema Alsace (French with German subtitles)!
Alongside these three centres, El Sistema-France Grand Ouest is also proud to run the first French Orchesta de Papel programme (a programme which makes use of papier mâché instruments to help introduce children to musical instruments when standard instruments are scarce).
Watch the preparation of Saint-Médard’s Orchesta de Papel!
And, in 2018, El Sistema-France will add a new feather to its cap, taking its first steps in the development of a Manos Blancas programme (a choir format designed for the inclusion of children with hearing and/or speaking disabilities) as well as in the creation of a new nucleo dedicated to bel canto singing.
We hope you enjoy these glimpses into their work so far and look forward to telling you more about El Sistema-France’s progress in the months ahead!
To read more about El Sistema France while you wait, visit their website (in French) at http://www.elsistema-france.org