Jonas Foundation

A second chance

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  • Home
  • The Foundation
    • Aims and Origins
    • Board
    • Contact, Donations
    • Prizes, special donations
    • Constitution of the Jonas Foundation
  • Switzerland
    • Le Choeur « Jonas », Genève
  • Camps
  • Permanent Projects
    • London
      • Objectives & History
      • Elephant & Castle
      • The Jonas Singers
      • Project at a Carehome
      • Events & camps
    • Paris StDenis
    • Tbilisi, Georgia/Caucasus
    • Kyrgyzstan
  • Past temporary projects
    • «Musik, Theater, Freude» – SOS Children’s Villages, Berlin
    • Camps for children with special needs in Armenia
    • Puppet workshop for the children of Gaza-City
    • Drama Workshops towards a nonviolent culture, Ramallah
    • Dance and drumming classes for youngsters who have been traumatised by violence, Tel Aviv
    • Music therapy for children with autism, Haïfa
    • Russia, St Petersburg
    • Madagascar, Africa
  • News
  • DONATIONS

Objectives & History

Objectives

  • To fight social exclusion of children and young people through the media of music, dance, drama and the arts in general. Social exclusion can be the result of factors such as financial hardship, ill health, substance abuse, discrimination, family breakdown, to be in public or in penal care
  • To provide support and activities for children which will develop their social skills, capacities and capabilities to enable them to participate in society as mature and responsible individuals
  • To promote education of children and young adults in such ways as the charity trustees think fit, including by awarding scholarships, providing for their education through the study of music and the arts and to undertake travel in furtherance of that education

Founders: Dr and Mrs Ulrich and Christine Sigwart-Sartorius
Trustees: Christine Rosemarie Sigwart-Sartorius / David Soro Russell / Anita Mirjam Buser
Patron: Sir Andrew Parmley, Director of the Royal College of Organists; former Lord Mayor of the City of London
Registered Charity Number: 114 84 14
The Jonas Foundation Charitable Trust UK has been created in August 2012.
info@jonasfoundation.org

History

Swiss Church Music School London (1997-2003)
«Les Rossignols de Soho»: The early beginnings

French Protestant Church, London. In the nineties, Revd Leila Hamrat had asked Christine Sigwart to start a children’s choir at the French Protestant Church, London. They were called “Les Rossignols de Soho”! The “Soho Larks” have been singing at Church. They created little musicals: “Noah I” and “Noah II” which took them to Francfort and, following an invitation from Pasteur Jean-Luc Martin, the “Larks” performed at the Vatten Festival in Stockholm.

Their meeting point was Christiane’s Garetier’s home where cakes and hot chocolate never has been out of stock! Wonderful talents and friendshps emerged from these early days… After a few years, the creation of a music school appeared necessary. The talent and enthusiasm of the choristers made them wish to learn how to play an instrument. A new perspective opened: The Swiss Church Music School.

The Swiss Church Music School moved to Elephant-and-Castle after Ulrich and Christine Sigwart had returned to Switzerland. StMatthew’s church appeared an ideal choice to reach new students.

Some pupils developed remarkable musical and artistic talents. A few picked up a musical career (Dorothée Munyaneza, movie «Hotel Rwanda»), Chanel Kiasi, while others entered University, studying in various fields: Geography, Law, Engineering, Linguistics, Management, Social work.

Former students are scattered around the globe, holding interesting jobs. Some of them are working in development, like a former student who is an engineer in Erbil in Northern Irak. Another student has become a designer, promoting Fair Trade with African countries.

1997–2003:
Founders: Christine and Ulrich Sigwart
Chairman of the Board: Gottfried Locher (President of the Swiss Federation of Protestant Churches)
Teachers: James Bush (Cello, Berlin), Pietr van Zyl (piano, South Africa), Stuart Whatton (piano), Felix Buser (Cello), Peter Rayner (Cello), Robert Masarachi (Violin), Carlo Ballara (Violin), Zara Ballara (Singing), Anthony Bailey (Clarinet), Christine Sigwart (Director, piano, recorder, choir)

—
Jonas Foundation Switzerland
(2003 – )

The Jonas Foundation has been created on March 15th 2003, at Bioley-Magnoux, Switzerland.

The same day, six of our students sang under the direction of Vladimir Ashkenazy «On Guard for Peace», Prokofiev, at the Royal Festival Hall (having passed an audition with Ronald Corp, NewLondon Children’s Choir).

The Jonas Foundation Music School at Elephant-and-Castle has been progressing over a decade. In 2003, directorship was given to Andreas Schindler, now Reverend at a large Parish in  Reinach Leimbach, Switzerland.

Our Alumni, while moving forward in their own lives, showed a strong attachment to the School and started helping out (Chanel, Diane, Claudia, Joey, Ngudi, Manuel, Domingo, Nkosi, Mandy).

2006: Andreas Schindler and family (two children had been born!) moved back to Switzerland in order to pursue a pastoral training. Directorship passed on to Anthony Bailey, Clarinet teacher (until July 2011). Chanel Kiasi took leadership of the Jonas Singers. The School grew rapidly and successfully.

A certain number of achievers passed the ABRSM Exams. Some of them achieved Grade 8 Examens ABRSM.

News

  • Carolina: Master’s thesis!
  • 4th February, Gstaad: Fundraising Concert
  • Océane Masters degree and Prix Arditi!
  • Jerusalem: Jonas Alumni at the «Alleluia» festival
  • Jonas student at the Davidsbündler Music Academy in The Hague

Special piano concerts – CD available


The CD of a concert of Rati Skhirtladze’s (13 years) and his teachers Natia Beraia Taktakishvlili and Dachi Taktakishvili is available – order here: info@jonasfoundation.org
The concerts took place in Switzerland (Berne, Bioley-Magnoux, Geneva) from 12th to 15th March 2015.
On the program: Liszt, Chopin, Ravel, Lagidze.

Donations

You would like to donate? More informations you can find here.

Middle East

Drama workshops in Ramallah (Kathy Bergen, Faten Khoury) – Read more

Milman Center, Haifa

Musictherapy for children suffering from autism at the Milman Center, Haifa. Read more

Armenia: Integration of disabled children

The Jonas Foundation supports the project “Art for Inclusion” in Armenia. Documentary films: "I am a hero", "If you have wings" and "Only love". Read more

Paris-StDenis, France

The Jonas Music Class at Collège Pierre-de-Geyter, StDenis, France. Read more

London Music School

Read more about our music school.

Puzzle «Creation»

«The Creation», a painting in form of a huge puzzle! A piece of art put together by handicapped children and children from the Bernese Oberland (summer 2007). During the International Year 2008 of the Earth, «The Creation» was hosted by the International Airport Geneva at Gate A8. Read more

June 2006: UN Human Rights Council

Jonas Choir UN Geneva
19th June: The «Jonas Singers» sing with the «Petits Chanteurs de la Cathédrale» at the first Session of the Human Rights Council, United Nations, Geneva. Young singers from countries as varied as Iran, Zimbabwe, Angola, Rwanda, Cameroun, Bulgaria, Germany, United Kingdom, France and Switzerland, have been invited to sing at the first Session of the Human Rights Council.

Jonas Foundation · CH–1407 Bioley-Magnoux · info@jonasfoundation.org