Tees Valley schoolchildren perform with Royal Opera House

Tees Valley Music Service (TVMS) has teamed up with the Royal Opera House for a week-long tour, including five grand performances.

The initiative, which is the Royal Opera House's biggest outreach project to date, follows an extensive programme of training for about 100 primary school teachers and free storytelling workshops for more than 1,000 children.

Three hundred children attended Monday's performance at Thornaby Pavilion, from Levendale Primary School, Bader Primary School, St Paul's Catholic Primary School, The Oak Tree Academy, St Mark's Church of England Primary, Crooksbarn Primary, and Captain Cook Primary School.

Tuesday's performance was also at Thornaby Pavilion, while the venues for the rest of the week include Middlesbrough Sports Village, St Hilda's Church, Hartlepool, and the Dolphin Centre, in Darlington.

The project aims to inspire, educate, and cultivate a passion for the arts in young people.

Susan Robertson, manager of TVMS, said: "We are thrilled to partner with the Royal Opera House for this landmark project. The collaboration aims to inspire and nurture the next generation of musicians, providing them with the invaluable experience of working with world-class artists.

"It not only provides an exceptional educational experience but also enriches our community by bringing a world leading institution such as the Royal Opera House to Teesside to perform opera with young people, for their families."

Amy McGann, head of the Royal Opera House National Schools Programme, said the scheme "continues to flourish across the UK thanks to our incredible partnerships with schools, teachers and organisations such as Tees Valley Music Service".

"We are passionate about working with like-minded people to ensure that the Royal Opera House can deliver curriculum-led training, resources and experiences that enhance the creative confidence of teachers and students in the classroom."