WIRRAL schoolchildren will be among those taking part in a special concert featuring a Ukrainian lullaby in the run-up to the Eurovision Song Contest.
In preparation, the pupils from Well Lane Primary in Tranmere, St Joseph’s Catholic Primary in Prenton, Ladymount Catholic Primary in Pensby and Hillside Catholic Primary School in Prenton have been working with students of foreign languages at the University of Liverpool to promote language learning and celebrate the power of music to bring people together.
It is part of MiHi Eurovision – A Festival of Languages through music - which is part of EuroLearn, curated and delivered by Liverpool City Council’s Culture Liverpool team and supported by funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Department for Culture, Media & Sport, Spirit of 2012 and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
The project also involves children from schools in Liverpool, Sefton, Halton, St Helens and Knowsley.
During the project, undergraduate students from the Department of Languages, Cultures and Film at the University work with Resonate – the Music Education Hub for Liverpool to teach songs in Spanish, Italian, French and German to primary school children and develop a padlet of resources for use in schools across the city region.
Each of the schools is currently working with a University of Liverpool student to learn a song in one of the European languages.
The students have visited the schools to assist with translation and pronunciation as well as talking about the language and what studying a foreign language at University involves.
The project will culminate in all the schools coming together to perform their songs at the міні Eurovision Festival Finale in the University of Liverpool’s state-of-the-art Tung auditorium in the Yoko Ono Lennon Centre at the end of April.
Ellisha Branscombe, class teacher and music lead at Hillside Primary School in Prenton, said she has really enjoyed working with the Liverpool University students who have been teaching the children the Italian song Dormi, dormi, o bel bambin.
She said: "The children are really excited to be part of such a big local event doing something they really enjoy.
"The students from the University have been a great support to the children and the staff, they have instilled their own enthusiasm in us."
Professor Lisa Shaw from the Department of languages, cultures and film at the University of Liverpool, who leads the project said: "It’s been a real pleasure to see our students using their language skills in the community to help inspire a love of languages and excitement around Eurovision!
"Back in the late '70s, it was watching Eurovision on TV that first sparked my interest in learning French and then Spanish in school!
"The project has given the school children a chance to develop their language skills while giving our students the opportunity to get off campus and use what they learn in their lectures out in the wider world – it's a really great example of Eurovision benefitting us in Liverpool in so many ways.
"We all can't wait for our міні Eurovision Festival Finale for everyone to enjoy a big celebration of languages, music and foreign cultures."
Alicia Smith, Arts and Participation Manager at Culture Liverpool, said: “United by Music is the overarching theme that is interwoven throughout our EuroLearn programme, which provides schools and non-school educational settings with a unique opportunity to celebrate all things Eurovision by taking part in and delivering their own events.”
"The University of Liverpool has fully embraced this slogan with міні Eurovision, which celebrates the power of music to bring people together. From a French rap to a Ukrainian lullaby, the festival truly reflects the diversity of the Eurovision Song Contest itself and is a great way to spark an interest in languages for the children.
"I can't wait to hear them sing their hearts out at the finale – I think it will be douze points all round!"
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