World Heart Beat Music Academy has been singled out from a field of 42 organisations to become the newest cultural tenant at Embassy Gardens. Ecoworld Ballymore, together with Wandsworth Council, chose World Heart Beat to create and drive a new educational, cultural and performance venue, to open in 2019.
World Heart Beat’s dynamic new creative space at Embassy Gardens will include a fully equipped 130 seat auditorium and state-of-the-art educational, recording and broadcasting facilities. To achieve this, World Heart Beat needs to raise £1.36 million from major grants, donations, sponsorships and performance events.
Nurturing Young Musical Talent in the Community
World Heart Beat is a fresh, modern award winning music charity that envisions a global environment where music, as a universal form of communication, bridges cultural, political, economic and linguistic barriers. Its Arts Council National Portfolio Organisation status reflects its key role in teaching musical excellence to a highly diverse young community.
Whatever their background, World Heart Beat students are taught, mentored and nurtured by top industry professionals and the best musicians, themselves inspired to pass on their knowledge – with no financial constraints. Since 2002, World Heart Beat has motivated over 1,000 children to learn, thrive and succeed from creating and playing music.
Bringing Performance Power to Embassy Gardens
Embassy Gardens is a landmark development set within the Nine Elms regeneration area which will provide nearly 2,000 new homes for Londoners when complete. The development forms part of one of London’s newest neighbourhoods, characterised by its vibrant community, exclusive amenities and its unique situation next to the brand new US Embassy. World Heart Beat is therefore a perfect fit for Embassy Gardens and cultural and creative vibrancy is central to the ethos of the scheme.
World Heart Beat Founder Sahana Gero MBE says: “Embassy Gardens is going to elevate us to a completely new level. It means that our concept for changing the lives of the next generation of raw talent through music education can become a reality for much greater numbers than we can reach currently. It will support our ambitions to create more outstanding concerts and innovative programmes and will open up thousands of opportunities for young people who find inspiration and lifelong success through music.
Commenting on the development’s newest cultural tenant, Dato’ Teow Leong Seng, President & CEO of EcoWorld International said: “As a business EcoWorld has always had the celebration of music at its core. Internally we promote talent through our very own EcoWorld choir, and we are delighted that this meaningful partnership extends further our dedication to the arts, allowing more children to thrive through creating and playing music.”
Sean Mulryan, CEO of Ballymore Group added: “The World Heartbeat Foundation’s move is a reflection of our ongoing commitment to supporting arts and culture, and we hope that the new performance space will become a musical hub for young people of all backgrounds to learn and develop their creative talent. Music has always been something close to my heart, and can be a really positive influence on young people, helping inspire their creativity.”
Funding Will Keep the Music Playing – for a Bigger, Better, Inspirational Future
World Heart Beat brings transformation to young lives and discovers and nurtures exciting musical talent. Becoming the Cultural Anchor at Embassy Gardens is a significant new chapter for this unique, creative and far-sighted charity. If you would like to be part of a force for positive change, World Heart Beat has developed a full range of funding options which could be suitable for businesses or individuals.
Discover more about the World Heart Beat Music Academy at www.worldheartbeat.org
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Notes to Editors
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World Heart Beat Music Academy - Key Facts and Figures
• First conceived by Sahana Gero in 2000, with 6 members of the 51st State Band
• 2009/10 incorporated as a non-profit company based in South West London with 70 pupils
• Arts Council National Portfolio Status granted in 2017, for 2018-2022
• Currently teaches over 300 young musicians, learning 10,800 hours of musical tuition per annum
• 51st State Band, led by Sahana Gero, has become one of the UK’s largest community youth bands, with 130+ children participating each year, 1000+ children and families involved overall
• 15 core musical programmes available
• 34 types of musical instrument taught
• 37 top musicians mentoring/teaching
• 100% pass rate for all ABRSM Trinity 2017 examinations from Grade 1 to Diploma level
• 81% of students received a Distinction or Merit
• In the last 2-3 years, World Heart Beat students graduated to top level Universities to study music (Cambridge, Royal Academy of Music, Trinity Laban, Guildhall School of Music, Royal Northern, Manchester, Royal Welsh College of Music, Birmingham, Exeter, Leeds, Bristol as well as scholarships to Berklee College of Music, USA)
• World Heart Beat Awards:
• December 2017: Kids Count ‘Inspire the House’ Award 2017, presented by the Secretary of State for Education at the House of Commons
• June 2017: Founder Sahana Gero was awarded an MBE for Services to Music and the Community in South London in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List
• May 2017: Shortlisted for the Royal Philharmonic Society Music Awards for Learning & Participation: the highest recognition awards in UK for live classical music and regarded as the equivalent of Oscars in the world of classical music, celebrating outstanding achievement
• Action for Children’s Arts (ACA) Members’ Award 2015 – recognising the work of individuals and organisations making outstanding contributions in the Arts for children
World Heart Beat Music Academy Charter
As a social enterprise with the community at our heart, we give equal opportunity to young people to learn – through music – skills with which they can address the challenges that they face throughout their lives. These social and personal skills include leadership, communication and team-work – attributes that engender confidence and empowerment. World Heart Beat removes financial barriers that are associated with music tuition by offering bursaries and low fees, and by loaning instruments, the cost of which is an obstacle for many parents. Some children come to World Heart Beat having struggled academically, only to discover that they can excel in music.
This discovery gives them self-discipline, a focus to succeed and the drive to achieve. The transformation is tangible and long lasting. World Heart Beat is a place where students feel a sense of belonging no matter what their background or present situation in life. Our emphasis is on long-term sustainability. We plan to be firmly established in the United Kingdom for future generations. Our philosophy is simple – in a caring environment, we provide excellence and expect excellence.
About Embassy Gardens
Embassy Gardens will see the creation of nearly 2,000 new homes, stunning landscaped gardens, vibrant new bars and restaurants providing a variety of al fresco spaces and 130,000 ft² of shopping space. Phase two is being delivered by EcoWorld Ballymore and phase one, which is now complete and occupied, was delivered by Ballymore Group. The apartments at Embassy Gardens are a 10 minute walk from Vauxhall Station and connectivity will be further improved with the forthcoming extension of the Northern Line, creating two new stations at Nine Elms and Battersea Power Station. Future home to the Sky Pool, Embassy Gardens is a landmark development which will establish a totally new community within central London, wrapped around the new US Embassy.