Unsung Heroes

Heritage, song-writing & performance for primary schools

Unsung Heroes is a project by Cohere Arts in partnership with Suffolk Archives, Asset Education and Britten Pears Arts, made possible with funding from Heritage Lottery Fund. The aim of the project is to engage children with their local heritage by developing skills in archive research, songwriting and performance. 

A cartoon child is singing, their arms outstretched. Musical notes hang in the air around them. They are wearing a superhero cape on which is written the words Unsung Heroes.

Throughout the summer term of 2023, 13 Asset Education primary schools will take part in heritage workshops run by Suffolk Archives, to find everyday heroes from their local history. Working with one of four composers, children from each school will write a song telling the story of their ‘unsung hero’.

Finally, children from all 13 schools will join together to form a choir that will perform the complete Unsung Heroes songbook at a concert at Snape Maltings on 18th November 2023. This concert will form part of a wider event planned to mark the 10 year anniversary of Britten Pears Arts’ Friday Afternoons project.

Project team

Choral Director – Tom Appleton
Composer – Charlotte Jolly
Composer – Amy Mallett
Composer – Kitty Morgan
Composer – Francis Goodhand
Project Coordinator – Philippa Storey

The project aims to:

  • Develop skills and knowledge: history, research, creative writing, music, performance. 
  • Promote social & emotional development: collaboration, communication and confidence
  • Improve health and wellbeing: promoting connection to place, building a sense of belonging for individuals, schools and the wider trust community
  • Expand experiences of culture & the world: the ideas and actions of everyday people can contribute to societal change including social mobility, technological innovation and policy