Flagey Academy works with free instruments

“The world has seven billion voices,” says Gilles Ledure, director of Flagey. “Each person’s voice is unique. And free to use. As Flagey’s mission is to introduce as many people as possible to music - and not just classical music! - we want people to feel what it means to make music from a very young age.”

Music at school every day

Of course, the cultural centre does not do this lightly. For two years now, it has been offering choral singing during the lunch break in various Brussels primary schools. There, all children with an interest can explore the finer points of the musical language.

“This approach has been in the English and German school systems for centuries,” says Gilles Ledure. “Teaching music every day, so that by the age of 18, young people have a very thorough knowledge of music. You can see the result, for example, in the great output of pop music in England. But not only pop: you cultivate an audience for all kinds of music.”

Flagey Academy

After this initiative in primary schools, which now has about 500 participants from the most diverse backgrounds, a sequel is now being established for young people aged 10 to 20: the Flagey Academy. This Academy attracts the ‘better’ voices through auditions, for a thorough after school training in Flagey, with a view to developing a semi-professional choir with them in the near future.

“We now have a nice long-term socio-cultural project,” concludes the Flagey director. “In the schools in Brussels, we teach music to everyone who wants it - even those who are less familiar with it. We do this over at least ten years, as we’re wary of the current urge for ‘instant gratification’. If you want success, you have to work at it constantly and permanently; you have to nurture your talent for life. And after all, our project is inclusive. Everyone, regardless of environment or background, can sing. But they need tailor-made guidance. And that is what the Flagey Academy offers.”

Long-term partnership

At BNP Paribas Fortis, we fully share these values and vision. It is therefore with great pleasure that we have renewed our long-term partnership with Flagey for another two years.

Because helping people develop their musical talents, that is also Positive Banking.