Plymouth Music Zone’s big idea to create the city’s only ‘Sensation Music Station’ is one of only eight bids in with a chance of winning over £50,000 - all to be decided by a public vote in the Big Lottery Fund and ITV’s People’s Millions competition on November 15, 2006. 

Plymouth Music Zone Project Director, Ben Ballard commented: “It’s the first time we’ve ever done anything like this and it feels like a kind of Lottery X-Factor!  So we can only hope we hit the right note and the public see how desperately this multi-sensory room is needed. Everyone could benefit because that kind of special sound and light equipment wouldn’t just help children with sensory impairments to develop through music, it would also help the elderly and the very young and their parents to explore it too.”

Plymouth Music Zone believes the Sensation Music Station could help it become a Centre of Excellence in the region by putting special needs music education on the map.  Sue Carlyon, from SENSE South West, thinks it’s crucial to have a year round facility: “There is so little available in the South West and once you hit school holidays, the children have no access to sensory rooms.  For many children I work with, this is the only environment they can make use of their very limited residual vision...It is so necessary for these children to have such an environment available in order for them to develop their vision and reach their potential.”

Plymouth Music Zone’s project will go head-to-head with another deserving cause on ITV Westcountry news at 6pm on Wednesday November 15.  Following a short TV news feature about each idea, the public will be invited to phone in or text vote for which project they feel should win funding.  At the end of the week, five of the eight projects will have been chosen as winners.

Phone lines will be open from 9am to midnight on the day of broadcast on November 15.  The telephone number to call and text will also be revealed at 9am on the day on the Big Lottery website: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/peoplesmillions

For further details please contact Ben Ballard or Anna Batson at PMZ
T: 01752 213690

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_{Notes to Editors:}

_{^{Plymouth Music Zone’s “Sensation Music Station” aims:}}

• _{^{To provide high quality music education and opportunities for people with disabilities and/or sensory impairments at Plymouth Music Zone.}}
• _{^{To provide a state-of-the-art dedicated sensory development environment in a dedicated space at Plymouth Music Zone that will be an accessible community facility - primarily to encourage enjoyable, accessible music experiences for all.}}
• _{^{To make equipment available with support in its creative use for people with disabilities and/or sensory impairments. It will also be accessible for Early Years children (under 5) who will benefit from multi-sensory experiences as well as other groups such as the elderly.}}

_{^{Please note: The “Sensation Music Station” is the same project that was part of the Your Pound, Your Choice lottery trial held in August.  It narrowly missed out on winning, being beaten by a sailing charity project and a sensory garden for children.  Plymouth Music Zone will again be going head-to-head with a different sailing charity in the People’s Millions competition!}}   

_{^{Extra Quote: Jan Simpson, Senior Advisory Teacher of the Deaf, (Plymouth Advisory Team for Sensory Impairment) is one of many who believes it would be an asset to the city,
“What Plymouth needs is a community based facility for adults and children – a sensory exploration space where music can be explored through all the senses…a dedicated space with all the right equipment would allow sensory magic to be made.”}}

_{^{Plymouth Music Zone is one of 24 Youth Music Action Zones across the UK, providing music-making activities to young people, between 0 – 18 years, who might not otherwise have the opportunity. It is also one of four Space for Sport and Arts facilities in the city.}}

_{^{Youth Music is a UK-wide charity that funds and facilitates music-making for young people up to the age of 18, particularly those living in areas of social and economic need. By 2010, Youth Music aims to have reached 3 million children and young people in a UK-wide strategy to support youth music-making. More information is available at www.youthmusic.org.uk}}

_{^{Since December 2000, Youth Music has set up 24 Action Zones in areas of social and economic need across England and Wales. The aim is to provide music-making activities to young people who might not otherwise have the opportunity. Each Zone is made up of established organisations from the public, voluntary and private sector. Youth Music Action Zones cover all genres of music and deliver a wide range of activities including workshops, rehearsals, performances, one-to-one teaching and mentoring. More information is available at www.youthmusic.org.uk}}