- Hon Erica Stanford
The Big Sing, involving more than 9000 students and 280 choirs, has had its funding secured, Education Minister Erica Stanford announced today.
The New Zealand Choral Federation and Choirs Aotearoa New Zealand will each receive a one-off grant of $150,000 to support the production of their annual events.
"Music builds strong foundations for learning, confidence, and can lead to new opportunities both within and outside the classroom. Giving students the opportunity to participate in choir can also help keep them engaged with their learning," Education Minister Erica Stanford says.
This is in addition to the $5.6 million that has been funded in Budget 26 to fund music kits in schools.
"What we want is to make singing, music and the chance to play an instrument available to every student.
The Big Sing has been taking place for over 35 years and is New Zealand's largest choral event, with singers entering regional competitions held in Auckland, Waikato/Bay of Plenty, East Coast, Taranaki, Manawatu/Whanganui, Wellington, Marlborough/Nelson, Canterbury/West Coast, Otago and Southland.
"I love that the values of the Big Sing are to nurture not only a love of singing, but also to improve mental health and wellbeing and provide a platform to showcase New Zealand music.
"The Big Sing is the highlight of the year for school choirs and the families who support their children to compete. The calibre of performance on display is exceptional, and I'm pleased that this funding will help ensure the production continues," Ms Stanford says.
The second event that will benefit from this funding is the New Zealand Secondary Students Choir, led by Choirs Aotearoa New Zealand.
"This national choir helps extend secondary students' choral excellence and develops leadership capabilities. Students represent New Zealand at major national and international festivals and events."
The funding has been found from within the Ministry of Education's baseline.
