Accolades for The Song Room winning international arts education award.

The Song Room was awarded the ‘M Prize’, at a ceremony in Ningbo, China on Friday 25 November, 2022.

The international arts education award ‘M Prize’ was established by the Ningbo Huamao Education Foundation through the generosity of patron Mr Xu Wanmao. It recognises those who have made outstanding contributions to arts education across the globe. An international jury is co-chaired by H.E. George Papandreou (Prime Minister of Greece 2009-11) and H.E. Irina Bokova (Director General of UNESCO 2009-2017) who both addressed attendees at the ceremony. The Song Room award was accepted by CEO Alice Gerlach.

Over 300 organisations and individuals from across the globe were considered by the jury for international arts education award.  This year The Song Room, along with Chinese organisation the Malanhua Children’s Choir were awarded the prize. It comes with 500,000RMB in prize money and the M Prize gold medal crafted by the filigree inlay technology. The award ceremony was streamed live to over 140,000 people.

“Recognition of The Song Room’s work through the ‘M Prize’ on an international stage is an enormous achievement for our organisation. We are extremely proud of the work that we do to provide opportunities for young people from all walks of life to thrive.”

– Anthony Mackay AM, Chair, The Song Room.

The Song Room is the only Australian education organisation delivering multi-year, multi artform arts learning programs with student and teacher outcomes delivered in primary school classrooms across the nation. The Song Room strives to provide all Australian children with the opportunity to participate in the arts to enhance their education, personal development and community involvement regardless of their circumstance in life. In 22 years, over 450,000 Australia students have directly participated in sequential arts education programs delivered by The Song Room.

The Song Room works across Australia in diverse geographic and socio-economic communities to bring arts learning to students who would otherwise miss out on art and music education at school. The Song Room also has a strong First Nations Arts Program, where local First Nations artists lead students and their school communities in shared arts experiences.

The Australian Consul-General in Shanghai, Mr Dominic Trindade, welcomed the award, as recognition of the high-quality arts education being delivered in classrooms across Australia.

“It is particularly pleasing to see the M Prize selection panel highlight The Song Room’s robust First Nations Program, where elders and artists help students learn about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge, cultures and histories.”

– Mr Dominic Trindade, Australian Consul-General, Shanghai.

When arts learning is part of a child’s education, they are given positive ways of interacting. Their perception about what they can achieve also changes. And they are given the opportunity to imagine new possibilities. The Song Room connects students to their learning. It helps them to build resilience through music, drama, visual arts, media arts as well as dance.

“Thank you to the ‘M Prize’ jury for this wonderful acknowledgment. We’re thrilled that arts education is being showcased and thank them for their support.”

– Alice Gerlach, CEO, The Song Room.