We promote 
 Culture & Identity 

• To promote ‘Culture and Identity’ by supporting cultural, educational and social initiatives
• To preserve threatened cultural heritage, if ‘responsible parties’ are lacking the required resources
• To prepare, to conserve, and to spread cultural heritage including cultural identity

British Youth Opera

British Youth Opera’s (BYO) mission is to discover, develop and display the next generation of opera professionals and make opera, as a career and audience member, accessible for all. BYO is the UK’s only opera training company, taking on participants from different ages and backgrounds. BYO supports every area of the industry, including the workforce behind the singers standing on stage – directors, stage managers, repetiteurs, designers and conductors.
BYO exists as the entry point for all future opera professionals and for free. As such, BYO recognises that they must respond to the current landscape and embody the change that the industry needs.
To address this need BYO will create BYO Base: an online platform for young people aged 8-28, offering skills workshops, masterclasses and resources to all of the areas that makes up the opera’s rich industry.
BYO wants to introduce to the world talent from all backgrounds. BYO Base will do so by removing barriers and offering clear progression routes, developing those interested in opera – from primary age, to professionals about to embark on their career. BYO will be broadening its reach to engage younger and more diverse audiences with career-focussed content. This impact will be seen in the UK primarily but BYO expects to engage beyond the UK and into Europe and further afield. This will act as a catalyst to keep the industry diverse, alive and relevant to future generations

Intercultural and Integrative Choir Project, Innsbruck

The project Grenzklang (“Bordersound”) is a unique project in Tyrol/Austria, which started in January 2021. Its aim is to offer children of Persian origin and others who are interested an opportunity to promote singing and making music. Besides the pedagogical choir practice, the development of new bilingual songs (Farsi/German) will be prioritized, so that a connection to Persian culture is ensured. Furthermore, other (singing) cultures are also included, and the children can immerse themselves in the most diverse cultural circles and perceive them as equal and complementary. In (online) concerts (including videos), intercultural reference can be heard, seen and experienced accordingly (see e.g.: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZQW6j8yqvA [31.03.21].

The project, which has been supported by Stichting Horizon from the beginning, focuses on the following areas:

• development of bilingual songs (Farsi-German);
• musical development (children and youth choir work);
• personal development (within the choir community, networking – meetings with other choirs);
• art and cultural mediation/cultural education;
• intercultural development.