Brief description
Panorama is a project that teaches children from difficult social backgrounds to realise their potential and make use of their opportunities. By learning to play an instrument in orchestra formation, children acquire a new horizon of experience, where they can develop their personality unencumbered by social deprivation. Panorama encourages the curiosity inherent in every child, independent of their gifts and social circumstances.
With Panorama, we open the way into an entirely new world, a contrast world, where each child can find – and tread – their own path. Within Panorama, we respect the liberty of each child by supporting them individually in learning an orchestra instrument (individual pedagogy). With Panorama, we craft a community by making music within an orchestra formation (group pedagogy). In doing so, Panorama opens new possibilities of accessing the family circumstances in a town district – in follow-up projects in the same district at the latest.

Description of the circumstances
More and more children lack the opportunity to discover their potential: social deprivation, broken family structures and financial limitations do not allow for individual paths to utilizing children’s inherent possibilities.
In Germany, development opportunities are not equal for children and teenagers. Social background is very influential on their perspectives – this means social disadvantages for children and teenagers due to their parent’s social circumstances. The 2010 Shell study assumes that about 20 per cent of young people feel they have only little chance to be successful at school and in their profession. This immediately affects their sense of being fully integrated members of society: “This lack of opportunity is usually accompanied by a reduction in access to participation in the community and a retreat from society.” Current studies still find great disparity between young people from families with a history of migration and those whose families have always been resident in Germany. Furthermore, the quota of school leavers without the most basic secondary school certificate may have decreased to 6.5 per cent overall, but in Berlin, for example, the ratio remains above ten per cent. “Low-skilled young people from socially deprived families or families with a history of migration especially, who have often had to suffer a number of failures in their school years, require individual assistance and coaching on their way to achieving vocational degrees.” Means of assistance outside state structures are crucial in this respect. “The main focus should be on children from socially deprived families or families with a history of migration – i.e. those who have been on the losing side of the German education system so far.” These socially deprived children and teenagers need such structures soon; and they should be permanent so that their opportunities can take a turn for the better.”

Target group
First and foremost, the project addresses children from 3 to 12 years from homes with difficulties to access education and/or from social groups often suffering from familial or social problems. They are reached through the daycare facilities for children run by CJD. At a later stage of the project, the age of children included in the project is hoped to be extended to the end of puberty. In this way, up to 250 children will be clients of the planned CJD Panorama project in Berlin, with some of them ideally being able to benefit from the project for up to ten years.

Objectives of the project
Panorama is intended to help children broaden their experiential horizons and thus discover an internalised sense of self-confidence, enabling them to take the first steps on their own, independent path in life.
Five steps are envisioned:
1. The children discover musical abilities and potential.
2. The children find their instruments.
3. The children become accustomed to acting within a group formation.
4. The children receive their own instruments – to take care of them responsibly.
5. The children have experienced fundamental preconditions to make their autonomous and independent way in the world.

 Project contents
The educational concept is conceived in a way to aid holistic personality development through the means of regularly playing music together on a variety of instruments in an orchestra formation. It will strengthen both children’s social skills and their sense of self-confidence, responsibility and trust in their own abilities, significantly contributing to personal development. The long-term duration of support and coaching (more than 10 years) ensures sustained involvement.
From practicing fundamental skills to playing music together with accomplishment, the children will over time learn to play the various instruments of the classical symphony orchestra.
In doing so, they will experience a development process extending over several years leading them to appreciate how they can make their personal and valuable contribution to successfully making orchestra music. The literature used will be continually and individually adapted to the children’s age and instrument specific situations.
For the first year, the concept provides for qualified music educators developing new content in small group sessions. This content will then be consolidated on the following days with the children’s regular teachers, and each Friday the small groups join each other as the full orchestra. The speed of work will adapted to each group individually, so that each group’s learning journey and outcome is developed individually.
In the further course of the project, the extent of daily work will be adapted to each group’s abilities, while the principle that we want to play music five days of the week will remain a fundamental constituent part of the CJD Panorama concept.
Children are to be given responsibility for suitable tasks as early as possible. This includes instructing smaller children as well as organizing work (looking after sheet music, instrument care, etc.) all the way to conducting work.

Project progress Panorama Berlin

1st phase: Preparation and implementation of the qualifying measures for the music educators and teachers working in the childcare facility, May 2013

2nd phase: Start work with 80 children on the premises of “Stubs&Fridolin” and “Johanna von Siemens” childcare facilities in Berlin Siemensstadt district, September 2013 – August 2014.

3rd phase: Possible expansion and continuation of PJD Panorama project in Siemensstadt district and beyond from August 2014.

Information on sustainability

Sustainability for the children
In order to achieve the desired sustained effect, CJD Panorama must be conceived as a long-term project. Realised to the full, the project offers a coaching and assistance time frame of ten years for every participating child.

Sustainability of the project through local alliances
To initiate the local education alliances, personal contact is to be sought out at potential sites. As has already been done in Berlin Siemensstadt district, the project leaders will be on site personally, to get to know the local circumstances and to explore in dialogue the opportunities of cooperation and reciprocal support in the attempts to assist the target groups. YMCA Ostwerk and Robert Reinick Elementary School have already agreed to be local partners.
Generally, the cooperation will be developed individually at each site so that the entire project retains its ability to react to all local specifics. The objective must be for every site to be managed by local educators, who meet to exchange their experience regularly at interregional events and take any new ideas learned there back into their local projects. Public relations work for the projects in public events in the district and greater Berlin. The alliances come into being through a close communications structure in the individual project phases.

Possible local cooperation partners

Starting from the childcare facilities run by CJD, the following parties seem promising local partners:

  • Primary schools (state or privately operated)
  • Music schools (municipal or privately run)
  • Freelance artists in the local area

As partners for specialist and personnel support:

  • Music academies
  • Instrument makers

As partners in financial and/or non-material support:

  • German Music Council
  • Professional orchestras (e.g. Berlin Philharmonic)
  • Charities (e.g. Rotary Club / Lions Club)

As partners in volunteer work:

  • CVJM Ostwerk, Berlin

For further information and with enquiries, please contact:

Christliches Jugenddorfwerk Deutschlands e.V. (CJD)
Arnold-Dannenmann-Akademie
Content Manager: Andreas Dierssen
Operational Manager: Andrea Gudernatsch
Ottilienberg
75031 Eppingen
www.cjd.de