In Harmony Sistema England, chaired by cellist Julian Lloyd Webber, is to forge official links with Venezuela’s El Sistema programme. Lloyd Webber originally founded In Harmony with the idea of promoting the ‘values, principles and methodology’ of the groundbreaking Venezuelan programme, which transforms the lives of disadvantaged children through music, and which has launched the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra and its music director Gustavo Dudamel to international success.

The new cooperation agreement follows a visit to Venezuela last February by tutors and leaders of In Harmony’s six local projects in Lambeth, Leeds, Liverpool, Newcastle, Nottingham and Telford, as well as the In Harmony protégé Sistema in Norwich, and representatives from Arts Council England and the Southbank Centre. Over the next six years the two countries will collaborate on a number of projects, and will eventually bring children from England and Venezuela together to create a percussion ensemble.

‘This is a fantastic development that continues to cement our close relationship with El Sistema and furthers our vision of giving every child in England the opportunity, through musical excellence, of reaching their full potential and becoming a force for positive social change within their families and communities,’ said Lloyd Webber.