Our challenge is to reach artistic education for the social integration of vulnerable children in one of the most damaged neighborhoods in Madrid (Spain) where cultural differences are difficulting the social harmony of the neighbours instead of uniting them for the improvement of their living conditions. Our tool is the ORCHESTRA addressed to children, triggering a chain of empowering activities where also families and neighbours find the channel to know each other, and learn together.

Cañada Real: the largest alegal settlement in Europe and an isolated point from the rest of Madrid.

Cañada Real is the neighborhood of 7000 people, a third of them, minors. Among them there is multiculturalism but not interculturality and people from different cultures (spanish gypsy collective and people from Maghreb) live together but are not related to each other. There is hardly any contact between these two cultures due to the prejudices they mutually have. These biases are learned by the minors and this, united to the stigma that the rest of the population attributes to them for living in Cañada, create difficulties for them in terms of social interaction and intimacy with other children of different cultural origins. Through music, they discover a common language, goals and tastes, they face a practical teamwork, collaboration and intergroup social relationships. Also, they sho

Our program attends 40 children of different cultural origins (spanish gypsy and maghrebi community).These children(8-12 years old)inherit the cultural conflicts of the territory and enter the program derived from social services, educational system, community network, and their own motivation.Most of these children come from families with limited financial resources and underground economy. On a personal level, we find negative self-concept, low self-esteem, and low social skills, that cronificates the marginalization.Through the artistic and psychosocial support(close tracking of participants´wellfare and weekly activities for peer support&critical and collective thinking), we also reach the families and residents of sector 5(1600 people) through workshops and the "16 km" festival.

Preparation,Nov20:Coordinators take care of logistic & economic planning. Music professionals align objectives.Psychosocial team manages participants’ waiting list & communicates with social entities.
Development, Dec20-Nov21:Implementation of activities.Musical Area,Psychosocial Care,School Support & performing Area.1 open spectacle each trimester & 1 final spectacle prepared together with DaLaNota Lavapiés.
Conclusion,Dec21:Evaluation of the activity.Historical and economic reports are written.
Methodology is based on the group as a fundamental pillar of artistic & social education.The values ​​of respect are are transmitted transversally to ensure that a wide space of security&protection is created with the aim to boost the artistic, humanistic & social development of the children.

In a year from now, the 80% of the participants and families will feel a better well-being in different areas.The children orchestra would have performed at least 3 times inside the territory, dinamizating the community and giving access to around15.000spectators, It will be the reference of a more reconciled community, diverse and still capable of not only coexisting in peace, but also building the desired change altogether.The invisible borders existing in Madrid would be crossed thanks to the concerts given with the equivalent orchestra of DaLaNota Lavapiés.In a year from now, children would have a healthier communal space where they´d have the chance to design and program actions to improve the territory and participate in the children participation assemblies of the district and city.

Voces Dando La Nota is a free and inclusive program where participants acquire key values ​​for coexistence through learning symphonic instruments. Musical workshops are implemented daily and promote mutual support and cooperation, being their biggest symbol the multicultural orchestra.In addition,the program offers individual,family, group attention and community intervention through the psychosocial department, as well as school support.
All the activity is directed towards a vision of the community.This is done through mediation with social resources, participation of the beneficiaries in the Participation Commissions for Children & adolescents of Vicálvaro District and the global training of minors as agents of social change with a real impact on the cultural landscape of their city.

We want to transform communities and create more just and inclusive societies through the power of art. We are certain that our musicosocial methodology works, as we have seen the astonishing results it produces, and we want to continue to facilitate access to music in disadvantaged environments, empowering children and youth as cultural and social agents.
Our aim is to reflect the European values of respect, tolerance and diversity, where art is conceived as the best existing tool for the union of cultures.

personal costs(122526 EUR),public relations (10800 EUR),Office expenses(420 EUR),Transportation&performing expenses(2100 EUR). TOTAL: 135.846,00 EUR. The extra resources confirmed for the upcoming course are 65.000 EUR(Madrid City Council and CaixaBank Found.). part of this funding comes from the budget non used due to Covid-19 pandemy.During this period, VDN team was reduced to cover basic needs of the participants and we stopped the artistic activity due to the digital poverty of the participa

We would like to know possible synergies with other projects that help children and youth at risk of exclusion, especially those who aim to use ART as a tool for social transformation