Implementation of Programs

Implementation of programs continued at 3 centers of “Dil Se” Campaign, Delhi with over 200 children:

1. “Ummeed” Home for Boys | Mehrauli (“Uma Pandey” Home for Boys was shifted here in February 2010 and included over 120 children approx.)
2. “Kilkari” Rainbow Home for Girls | Kashmere Gate [July 2009 onwards]
3. “Khushi” Rainbow Home for Girls | Tekhand Village, Okhla Industrial Area, Phase 1 [November 2009 onwards]

Over 100 workshops were conducted with children: Content of workshops was geared towards development of music comprehension and appreciation, singing, listening, song- writing and performances.

Four types of programs were implemented:

1. Music Workshops and Content Development
2. Special Workshops and Concerts
3. Song Project
4. ‘Learn an Instrument’ Project

Performances by children:

1. Performance by group of 15 children at “M-Ecstacy” Music Festival, Modern School, Vasant Vihar, 23^rd October 2010
2. Performance by group of 15 children at Indian Youth Climate Network (IYCN) for a Solutions Fair, Ansal Plaza, 10^th October 2010
3. Performance by group of 15 children with Dr Madan Gopal Singh and Group at Epicenter, Gurgaon, on 18^th August 2010

Training sessions with volunteers: Over 25 sessions have been conducted so far. The Content of the training involved development of a child centric model of learning and teaching, conducting needs assessment surveys, creating and managing feedback mechanisms, maintaining documentation systems, training on the issues of child rights and human rights, and implementation of programs within a human rights based framework. Sharing of best practices with other organizations working in similar fields was addressed too. Over … musicians and … volunteers were mobilized and trained.

Special Performance Workshops: Special workshops featuring national and international artistes including Nina and Mattias Perez Duo (Swedish classical and folk); Swarathma (Indian folk-rock/fusion); Shabnam Virmani (Kabir folk); Cyanide (rock); Ulla Matussek (opera) and others.

Evaluation & Assessment: Planning and implementation of an Evaluation Process including a Needs Assessment (May 2010), Mid-Year Evaluation (November 2010) and Final Evaluation (March 2011).

Policies: Development of a Child Protection Policy, Volunteer Policy, Documentation Policy, as well a Volunteer Handbook and Artists Handbook.

Partnerships and Collaborations

• The YP Foundation: Infrastructural help through office space, and mentorship guidance for program development.
• Bridge Music Academy: Assistance with content development, training of teaching-artists/musicians and monitoring and evaluation tools.
• Annual partnership for 2011 with Hard Rock Café, Delhi through music exposure programs for children and an annual fundraiser concert.
• Collaborative workshop program as Resource Group with Plan India’s “Learn Without Fear” campaign, June 2010.
• Collaborative performance by a group of 15 children for Green Solutions Fair of Indian Youth Climate Network on 10-10-10, Ansal Plaza, New Delhi.
• Music Recording Project supported by Project Ahimsa to create and studio- record 3 original music tracks with focus groups of 20 children each.
• Support received from Gibson Foundation through the donation of 3 Epiphone guitars for teaching purposes.
• Support received from Radio Mirchi 93.8FM through an instruments collection call for Radio Mirchi’s 7^th Anniversary Celebrations.
• Support received from “HarmoNYom”, New York, USA through a concert series, “The Music Room”, to raise resources for implementation of Music Basti programs.
• Support received from Furtados Music India through sponsorship of music equipment for workshops and concerts.
• Support was also received from organizations including EFICOR, JCT Electronics and others.

Other Programs

• Collaboration with Plan India in June 2010 (7th to 19th) as a Resource Group for a song-writing project with the “Learn Without Fear” Campaign. The project included 12 children from CAS Plan (Community Aid and Sponsorship Program) and Children’s Advisory Board (CAB). A nine-day workshop program was conducted with the children using different mediums including music and singing, dance, theater and drama, as well as song writing. The children composed a song around the theme of learning without fear, promoting safe learning environments for children.
• Project with the Centre for Media and Cultural Research at Birmingham City University, UK: The project involved a collaboration with Ian Wallman, award winning record producer, Andrew Dubber and Jeremy Collins from the Centre for Media and Cultural Research at Birmingham City University, to explore the ways in which music projects can find a wider audience online, and be used as a tool for fundraising. Through collaboration with a range of local professional musicians, a children’s album was recorded featuring the singing and enjoyment of the children part of Music Basti’s programs. The album,”Monkey on the Roof” will be released online as part of the research and will be available for free – or with a donation in 2011.
• Placement of interns of Study India Programme, coordinated by Birmingham City University, UK, August 2010: Study India is a three-week summer programme that gives UK undergraduate students the opportunity to experience India first hand. A total of six students from universities including University of Surrey, University of Oxford, Bath Spa University, University of Manchester and University of Leeds were placed for an internship programme with Music Basti.
• Faith Gonsalves, Project Officer, was invited to “Soundbound”, Mumbai, November 19^th – 21^st, hosted by British Council, Max Mueller Bhawan and Only Much Louder as a delegate and speaker for panel “Music Matters”.
• Faith Gonsalves, Project Officer, was invited to speak at TEDx NCR and TEDx Guwahati.
• Faith Gonsalves, Project Officer, was invited to be a mentor for United Nations Information Center’s “Young Changemakers Conclave”, group on “Poverty and Hunger”, January 7-9^th 2011.