The Sixteen announces the launch of a new strand of work as part of its Learning & Participation work, The Sixteen Ignite programme, to support young singers in finding a pathway into choral music. The programme is launched with the support of The Vinehill Trust and Michael Watt, philanthropist and owner of Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club.
Harry Christophers, founder and conductor of The Sixteen, says:
“We’re delighted to be able to expand ‘The Sixteen Ignite’ programme, our learning and participation work, with support from The Vinehill Trust , Michael Watt and all our other supporters who recognise the power that choral music has, and the benefits it can bring to young people. The next few years hold many exciting prospects, including a new branch of young singers into The Sixteen’s family, as we look to welcome over forty voices to the Ignite Academy.”
In recognising the need for greater diversity within choral music, and the need to address the overall decline of the provision of music in schools, The Sixteen launches three new strands of work to identify and support young singers to find pathways into choral music.
The three pathways are:
The Sixteen Ignite: Academy, a new fully funded programme for singers aged 14 – 18 to gain experience in working in training environments, and to prepare them for working in programmes designed for young singers, such as Genesis Sixteen, The Sixteen’s fully funded young artists programme for 18 – 23-year-olds. The Academy will support 44 young people who show exceptional potential but who have faced barriers in accessing training in choral music.
The Sixteen Ignite: Inspire, building on The Sixteen’s Talent Development programme, a collaborative partnership between The Sixteen and youth choirs across the UK. This partnership sees The Sixteen provide workshops to support young singers in established youth choirs including Barnsley Youth Choir, the Diocese of Leeds Schools Singing Programme and Cathedral Choirs, London Youth Choirs and Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Choir. The Talent Development programme will continue to partner with new and existing choirs, with a new influx of funding to enable the programme to reach as wide a demographic of young people as possible.
The Sixteen Ignite: Digital is a set of free digital resources featuring The Sixteen, and its founder and conductor Harry Christophers. The resources will be distributed to primary and secondary schools across the UK, allowing students the opportunity to sing virtually with the renowned choir. Along with the digital assets, teachers will also be provided with a complimentary resource pack providing lesson plans and activities, as well as an in-person session to look at the repertoire in detail.
In implementing these new strands, The Sixteen hopes to increase exposure and access to choral music for young people across the UK, as well as improve the representation of currently under-represented groups within the choral industry.
Ignite Inspire continues its work with young singers this Autumn, with workshops in Leed and Liverpool, whilst the first cohort of the Ignite Academy will begin in 2026. Ignite Digital will launch in September 2026.
Marie-Sophie Willis, Chief Executive of The Sixteen says:
“It has become increasingly apparent that the diversity of the UK isn’t reflected in its choirs, and many young singers don’t have the access to the pathways into choral singing and classical music. We hope that the new strands to the Ignite programme will break down the barriers that are keeping young people from choral music, and encourage them to explore all that this industry has to offer. We are incredibly excited that we can make this step change to our learning and participation work, with thanks to the support of The Vinehill Trust and Michael Watt.”
Jenny Begley, Learning and Participation Manager of The Sixteen says:
“This is a hugely exciting moment for The Sixteen Ignite. Pushing the boundaries of what we can offer young people with an interest in music has been an incredibly rewarding journey. In recent years, the programme has grown significantly, with young people embracing both our School’s workshops and the Talent Development opportunities, and the impact of their participation has been tangible and inspiring.
With this new influx of funding, we can take this even further – expanding access through Ignite Digital continuing our in-person Talent Development workshops through Ignite Inspire and welcoming the first cohort of the Ignite Academy. Together these strands ensure that more young people than ever can discover, learn and grow through music.”
Michael Watt of Ronnie Scott’s, and supporter of The Sixteen, says:
“For many years, I have been impressed with the work of The Sixteen in transforming the lives of young people who may face barriers to exploring and enjoying the endless benefits of choral music. I am pleased to assist in helping the ensemble to create opportunity for those who have the talent and perseverance to pursue it.”
Jo Clunie, Music Director at The Vinehill Trust, says:
“Promoting opportunities for all young people to explore the joy of choral singing and music is a key priority for The Vinehill Trust. The Sixteen Ignite programme is contributing to a national expansion of these opportunities and we look forward to seeing the positive impact The Sixteen can have on engaging and supporting the aspirations of our young singers”.
The Sixteen has recognised the power of young voices for over a decade, with the ground-breaking free artists programme Genesis Sixteen providing fifteen cohorts of singers with training, workshops and support. Over 300 singers have now taken part in Genesis Sixteen, with alumni making waves in the UK and across the world. Three Genesis alumni now also form part of The Sixteen: Elizabeth Paul (third cohort), Oscar Golden Lee (seventh cohort) and Edward McMullan (first cohort). Jessica Cale, Bethany Horak-Hallett and Matthew McKinney, three singers from the third, fourth and seventh cohort respectively form the three roles in The Railway Children, a new opera by Mark-Anthony Turnage, at Glyndebourne this Autumn.
In addition to these new strands, The Sixteen Ignite engages with other 4000 young people through workshops in schools and with choristers, talent development workshops, singing workshops and The Sixteen’s annual choral festival Sounds Sublime.