Watch MusikSak perform together with the Aarhus Symphony Orchestra, with Bruno Campo conducting.
MusikSak is an orchestral programme which uses music to give children in Aarhus the opportunity to become part of a creative community. The programme aims to bring together children of different ages and cultural and religious backgrounds and to spread classical music and an orchestral tradition amongst children who would otherwise not come into contact with such.
The project started in February 2015 at Hasle School in Aarhus, where it promotes respect and cooperation between students through music. MusikSak was inspired by El Sistema, which uses music as a means for providing developmental opportunities to all children, regardless of their backgrounds.
Currently, MusikSak leads two orchestras of 20 and 45 children, aged between eight and 14 and from the 2nd to the 8th year of secondary school. The children who take part attend regular classes and play together for two and a half hours twice a week.
All participation in MusikSak is voluntary and free of charge and the free participation in MusikSak assures that the programme is able to reach as many children as possible - including those who otherwise would not be able to play classical music at one of the country's music schools. MusikSak finds it important to be able to take its students on trips where they can meet and play with their peers from throughout Europe and they have already ensured that their students have had the opportunity to perform at concerts in Aarhus, Athens, Birmingham, Copenhagen, Gothenburg and London.
Musiksak is primarily supported by Aarhus Music School and Hasle School, however, it also enjoys some additional support from the Danish State Art Foundation, the Sonning Foundation and the Danish-Swedish Foundation. In addition to its help with day-to-day activities, the support from the Aarhus Music School also covers the provision of instruments, with about half of MusikSak’s children being the beneficiaries of instruments borrowed from the school.
If you yourself want to help contribute to the support of MusikSak and ensure that they are able to continue to take their students on concert trips, then you can contact them via musiksak@hotmail.com to find out how to donate money to the project.