As schools close today for the Christmas holidays, we reflect on an incredible year of music, creativity, and community at CREATE.

A Heartfelt Thanks

To the parents and carers: thank you for your dedication, encouragement, and for supporting our young musicians throughout the year. Your involvement helps make everything we do possible.

To our music instructors and staff: your passion, expertise, and hard work inspire us all. Thank you for nurturing the talents of our children and young people and for your efforts in making every performance shine.

To the children and young people in our CREATE groups: thank you for your energy, talent, and commitment. You’ve brought joy and festive cheer to all our events, especially during this year’s magical Christmas concerts.

Highlights of the Season

This year’s CREATE Christmas concerts at Glasgow’s City Halls were unforgettable. From the stirring finale of Highland Cathedral to the captivating debut of new ensembles, the performances showcased the extraordinary talent and dedication of everyone involved. 🎻🎷✨

📸 Enjoy some of the highlights captured in photos from our recent concerts!

These moments remind us of the power of music to bring people together and spread joy, especially during the festive season.

Looking Ahead

As we head into the holidays, we wish you all a restful and joyful break. City Groups will resume on Monday, 6th January, and we’re excited to welcome everyone back in the New Year for another fantastic term of music and creativity.

🎄 From all of us at CREATE, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Thank you for being part of our community, and we look forward to seeing you in 2025! 🎶✨

How to Access the Programme:

To access Saturday’s chamber programme, please click here to download the PDF. We recommend saving it to your device or printing a copy to bring with you.

To access Monday’s programme, please click here to download the PDF.

To access Tuesday’s programme, please click here to download the PDF.

Why Download the Programme?

Having the programme at your fingertips allows you to follow along with the evening’s performances, gain deeper insights into the music, and fully appreciate the dedication and artistry of our young musicians.

We look forward to sharing this festive musical journey with you.

Tickets are now on sale for our 2024 Christmas Concert Series, which take place in City Halls on the 9th, 10th & 14th December.

We hope everyone is settling in to the new school year and we’re excited to welcome all of our City Groups, Ensembles, Choirs and Orchestras back to City Halls.

Enrolment is still open here. We’re delighted to have two new groups for this year, Glasgow Schools’ Pipe Band and our brand new Trad Ensemble. The Pipe Band will rehearse in Holyrood Secondary School on a Monday from 4.30pm-6pm, and the Trad Ensemble will join our existing Thursday groups in City Halls, from 4.30pm-6pm.

All rehearsal dates for groups can be found clicking on the Events page above, for individual group dates please click on any of the group names below or from the drop down menu above.

Start Dates

Monday 2nd September
Pipe Band

Thursday 5th September
Trad Ensemble
Junior & Senior Choir
Flute Choir
Guitar Ensemble
Saxophone Ensemble
Chamber Choir
Big Band
Glasgow Schools Youth Theatre

Friday 6th September
String Ensemble

Saturday 7th September
Intermezzo Strings
String Orchestra
String Sinfonia
Junior Brass Ensemble
Clarinet Choir
Percussion Ensemble
Senior Brass Ensemble
Concert Band
Symphonic Wind Band

We are delighted to launch our brand new Trad Ensemble for 2024-25.

Following our two successful Trad Play Days in June, we are now recruiting members to join our newest city-wide ensemble.

Rehearsals will take place in City Halls on a Thursday from 4.30-6pm.

For more details, including all rehearsal dates, click here or choose Trad Ensemble from the drop-down menu at the top of this page labelled Groups.

We are actively recruiting for the following instruments – Chanter/Pipes, Whistle, Accordion, Fiddle, Guitar, Harp/Clarsach and accompaniment instruments including Piano, Guitar and Percussion (e.g. Bodhrán)

We are delighted to share our Baby Strings Standards & Quality Report for 2023-24. This transformative and innovative project began in the Eastbank Learning Community in 2017 and has since expanded to 12 schools across the city, with 2,047 children in 12 Primary schools receiving weekly whole-class string tuition.

Click the following link to download the PDF report – Baby Strings Standards & Quality Report 2023-24

Are you a pupil in S1-S6 with a passion for Musical Theatre? Do you dream of performing on stage but have little to no experience? Look no further! The Glasgow Schools Youth Theatre (GSYT) is now open for registration, and we want you to be part of our vibrant theatre community.

Rehearsal Details:

• Start Date: Thursday, 5th September
• Time: 19:00 – 21:00
• Location: City Halls, Glasgow
• Performances: Scheduled for February

GSYT offers a fantastic opportunity for students to explore their interest in Musical Theatre, develop their skills, and make new friends in a supportive and inclusive environment. Whether you’re an experienced performer or just starting out, GSYT welcomes all levels of experience.

Why Join GSYT?

• Professional Training: Work with experienced theatre professionals who will guide you through every step of the process, from rehearsals to the final performance.
• Build Confidence: Gain confidence and improve your performance skills in a fun and encouraging setting.
• Community: Be part of a community of like-minded peers who share your passion for theatre.
• Creative Expression: Explore different aspects of theatre production, including acting, singing, and dancing.

Rehearsals will be held weekly on Thursdays, beginning on the 5th of September, from 19:00 to 21:00 at the City Halls. Our season will culminate in an exciting series of performances in February, where you’ll have the chance to showcase your hard work and talent.

Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to be part of Glasgow Schools Youth Theatre. Register now and embark on a journey of creativity, learning, and fun!

Register here: GSYT Registration

We can’t wait to see you shine on stage!

Celebrating Diversity: Glasgow CREATE’s “Everyone Belongs / Tha a h-uile duine an seo” Citywide Music Project

This year’s citywide music project titled “Everyone Belongs / Tha a h-uile duine an seo” invited all primary schools across Glasgow to participate in a musical celebration of equality and diversity. This project, funded by Creative Scotland’s Youth Music Initiative, underscores Glasgow’s commitment to Sustainable Development Goal 4: ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all.

“Everyone Belongs”, words and music by Glyn Lehmann, served as the anthem for this celebration, chosen for its powerful message of inclusion. The project encouraged primary children to explore and celebrate the myriad of cultures, languages, and beliefs that make up their vibrant city by learning and performing this song.

To support the learning process, teaching videos, backing tracks, and lyrics were provided by CREATE YMI Music Tutors, catering to all stages and including sections in Makaton and Gaelic. During the instrumental interlude, children creatively incorporated the phrase “Everyone Belongs” in various languages of their choice, showcasing Glasgow’s rich linguistic diversity.

Each participating class recorded their performance alongside the provided backing track, culminating in a spectacular citywide digital performance. The response was overwhelming, with 278 videos submitted from 110 schools. This impressive collection of performances was expertly edited to create a digital showcase, reflecting the unity and diversity of Glasgow’s young learners.

Many schools also organised live performances during assemblies and school concerts, which extended the reach and impact of the project. This enthusiastic participation from children, teachers, and families, further fostered a sense of community and belonging.

Celebrating World Music Day, the city-wide digital performance will be released this Friday, 21st June at 9:30 am on YouTube: https://youtu.be/UPBMKAihr04.

The “Everyone Belongs” project not only celebrated diversity but also reinforced the importance of inclusion and community in Glasgow’s educational landscape. The overwhelming success and positive feedback will ensure the continuation of such joyful celebrations in the future.

“The children loved being part of this and the theme was engaging and heart warming!” Class Teacher, St Catherine’s Primary

“The fact that Makaton was taught alongside the words was a fantastic addition to the children’s learning.” Class Teacher, Chirnsyde Primary

“The class really enjoyed learning the song, exploring Gaelic and being part of a community project.” Class Teacher, St Roch’s Primary & Deaf School

“Our whole school ended up taking part and it was beautiful.” Class Teacher, St Monica’s Primary

“Many of the schools have been using this a whole school song which is lovely as it reaches out to all the children. Within the YMI music lessons children have been learning about rhythm and songs from other cultures.” CREATE YMI Tutor

Please see attached PDF for full offer.

We would like to share with you the full CREATE offer for Primary Schools in 2024-25. All opportunities are free for schools, teachers, and children to access.

Several of our projects are allocated to all schools, so you do not need to apply to be involved.
Other aspects of the CREATE offer are delivered at the request of schools or require teachers/children to sign up – in this case, places are allocated on a first come first served basis.

These opportunities are designed to:
• Develop learners’ music skills and awareness of music of different styles and cultures.
• Provide high quality group music making and performance opportunities for children.
• Raise awareness of the wider benefits of music, including the development of language, social skills and executive functions.
• Develop practitioner confidence, knowledge, skills and understanding in delivering Art & Design, Dance, Drama and Music.
• Provide resources to support learning & teaching in Expressive Arts.
• Provide support for planning and tracking progress within Expressive Arts.
• Develop learners’ Creativity Skills across the curriculum.

To request any of the CLPL outlined in this document for your school or Learning Community, please contact Ailsa Ansell (PT CREATE) – gw16ramageailsa@glow.ea.glasgow.sch.uk.