The Britten Stream marked the Benjamin Britten centenary with a participatory project which not only contributed to a national initiative – Aldeburgh Music’s Friday Afternoons – but had a relevance and resonance for local people, particularly children.
Working with Music Education Hubs in Hampshire, Portsmouth and Southampton (the first time the Hubs had ever collaborated on a creative project), Turner Sims devised a project which engaged thousands of children across the region and told the story of three links between Britten and the South coast.
A final mass participation event took place in at Turner Sims on Britten’s birthday. Hosted by pianist and broadcaster David Owen Norris, and streamed live to a global audience, the event brought together young people from across the region: 300 children from 13 schools sang in TS and an estimated 9,000 children joined the performance online, singing the songs they had learnt. Three commissioned films were also premiered.