High school launches arts platform to inspire creativity

King Edward VI High School for Girls, Birmingham has launched a nationwide arts network TuneUp Arts, giving schools across Britain a virtual platform to boost creativity in the next generation.

The launch follows the success of the school 's star-studded, online gathering, TuneUp Tuesday, a free one-day event designed to celebrate the arts and their impact on young people 's mental health and well-being.

Celebrated arts figures including the photographer Rankin and Irish dance star Louise Lenihan have now added special New Year video content of further virtual lessons and activities.

TuneUp Tuesday brought together over 110,000 young people from all over the UK, featuring scores of streamable performances from top companies including Shakespeare's Globe, the Young Vic and the RSC.

Leading industry professionals offered careers advice and led arts activities, among them prima ballerina Dame Darcey Bussell, multi-award winning musical director of Hamilton and The Greatest Showman Alex Lacamoire, playwright and screenwriter James Graham, the world's top solo percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie, comedian Greg Davies and rising musical theatre star Georgina Castle (pictured).

“TuneUp Arts is a nationwide campaign to encourage and inspire young people of school age to consider and believe in a career in the arts and theatre, ” said the initiative 's patron James Graham.

“Our particular landscape can feel precarious, but that won 't always be the case. When we open up, we 'll need lots of brilliant, inspiring young people to come and forge careers and take jobs in our hugely exciting sector. ”

The event is the brainchild of KEHS 's new principal, violinist Kirsty von Malais� and the school 's director of drama, Hannah Proops, a theatre director and former professional puppeteer

“Children have been through so much and the arts industry has suffered considerably during the pandemic, ” said Mrs von Malais�, a former prizewinner in the BBC 's Young Musician of the Year.

“With many extra-curricular activities severely restricted in this second lockdown, we wanted to give schools and young people an easy, safe way to do something vital together.

“We decided to launch TuneUp to affirm the power of the arts, particularly at this time, and to uplift us all by bringing us together in this celebration. ”

“We were bowled over by the enthusiastic uptake and the volume of posts on our social media, ” said former Disney puppeteer Hannah Proops, KEHS director of drama.

“Our industry might be suffering now but, arts are still the shining light that 's keeping us all going and making us feel connected.

“We 're really excited that TuneUp Arts is taking off as a national arts outreach network, providing a virtual platform for schools across the UK to deliver arts curricula and activities, offering resources to foster creativity in the next generation. ”

Schools and artists can find out more here or via Twitter: @TuneUpArts