Social development programme Sistema Waikato hopes to be up and running by the first school holidays next year, but the focus is now on securing funding.
Designed for low socio-economic areas, Sistema uses music to teach valuable life skills such the ability to concentrate and commit, and to invoke a sense of pride and ownership from both the students and their families in order to improve social development.
The programme teaches children how to use an instrument to be part of an orchestra. The children eventually become mentors in the programme to other children new to the initiative.
Rupert D'Cruze, director of the Hamilton Community Centre of Music (HCCM), helped bring the initiative to Hamilton.
He said the original estimated cost was $150,000-$200,000 but, with the assistance of Hamilton City Council and Nawton School providing a room to run the programme from and office space, the funding requirement is now about $130,000. That is expected to cover the cost of refreshments after school and for the holiday programme, instruments, and further operating cost such as salaries for the six tutors needed.
"We have had fantastic support from the Hamilton City Council," said Mr D'Cruze. "They have 'donated' a person to work on the project. Effectively they're sponsoring, for 18 months, one person from their department to work two and a half days a week in the community there in Crawshaw and Nawton. That is a very positive thing and helps us a lot with the finances.
"Nawton School has offered the use of their premises. Again, even though it is not hard dollars, it takes stuff off the budget as it were."
The first event for the children will be in the first school holidays next year (between term one and two), but Mr D'Cruze said they need to have appointed a programme director and six tutors before that can take place.
"There will be a holiday course between each term, that will happen on a regular basis. The youngsters will get together and meet twice a week during the term after school. They will have 90-minute sessions as well as the holiday courses - all of that will happen at Nawton School."
Sistema is in the process of applying to funding bodies, sponsors, and businesses who may be willing to contribute funding.
Four schools will be involved in the programme: Crawshaw, Rhode Street, Nawton, and Forest Lake.
Mr D'Cruze said when the children start the programme they are not immediately given an instrument.
"For the first few months they learn what is expected of them, what their behaviour is, a little bit about singing the tunes, eventually they move on to making their own cardboard instruments so they learn how to hold it properly.
"When they've shown they can do that well, they then get a whisper instrument which is made out of MDF board. That takes them a bit further to understanding how to treat the instrument.
"Once they have shown they can look after it, they get given a 'licence' and they can have a real instrument. We want to make it as easy as possible.
"It is not about being high-brow and exclusive, Sistema is all about inclusivity."
Sistema Waikato will operate under the umbrella of HCCM and the work they have done so far has been funded by Trust Waikato and the WEL Energy Trust.