Grigny: music despite the pandemic

2020, Annus Horibilis

2020 was not the best year for the Grigny Conservatory. All instruments remained silent during the confinement, the musical season was cancelled and the students were demotivated. Despite the inventiveness of the teaching team to keep the interest of their students alive, the lack of interaction between them and the teachers resulted in a lack of social links during this period. The Good Practice that the URBACT OnStage project has tried to consolidate, patiently developed over the previous 6 years, had been lost – both artistically and socially.

Learning holidays for neighbourhood children

Coming out of lockdown, many students found themselves in a difficult situation at the beginning of the summer 2020. Without the possibility of taking holidays in their home country, they had only their neighbourhood as a horizon. To compensate for the loss of contact with musical learning and to maintain the Good Practice, around twenty teachers volunteered to lead workshops, as part of the special scheme of the Cités Éducatives, known as "learning holidays".

Thus, for one week in July 2020, the children were able to take part in workshops in all the fields covered by the conservatory's teachings: music, dance and sciences.

This very special approach has aroused the interest of the Prefect of the Department of Essonne, who  came to attend some of the proposed workshops accompanied by the Equal Opportunities Delegate and the elected representatives of Grigny.

This initiative made it possible to maintain the educational link during the summer and to carry out the demo action on proteoids – experimenting with the use of music for plant growth –  which was initially planned for May-June, during school time. At the end of the eight summer weeks, about 70 children were able to participate in this workshop and a facilitator was trained specifically for this purpose.

Developing the Good Practice at the start of the school year

In September 2020, wanting to believe in a return to normality, the conservatory team worked to open new collective teaching classes during and outside school time. The idea was to amplify and develop actions linked to the Good Practice.

Unfortunately, the second lockdown put an end to these hopes.

Since the end of October 2020, and due to sanitary constraints, the Conservatory has not been able to welcome the pupils of the CHAM classes and of the 3rd cycle. The only positive aspect of this period has been the continuation of teaching during school time, even if this has been incomplete and partial.

2021: bis repetita?

The beginning of the year 2021 does not look any better. The prolongation of the pandemic is accompanied by a demotivation of the pupils. Although classes are still being given, but by videoconference, many find no interest in them because they say they do not receive any energy.

In spite of these dark hours, the conservatory team remains positive and reinvents its offer at every moment, so that despite the pandemic, the music is still alive.

*All pictures were taken before the health crisis

Written by Cécile Hussonnois (cecile.hussonnois@grigny91.fr) on January 22th, 2021

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