Give a child the magic of live music

10 November 2023

From 28 November – 5 December your donation will be DOUBLED

Do you remember the wonder of hearing live music for the first time?

Experiencing live music can be a magical and memorable experience for young children. But for many, the only way to come to a concert is with their school, and budget cuts to music mean that children are missing out.

Aurora’s Far, Far Away concerts combine live instrumental music with storytelling, giving young children an immersive and joyful first experience of classical music. Since 2017, our subsidised performances for schools have reached more than 4,000 children.

Now, you can give more children the magic of live music by supporting the creation of our new storytelling show, based on the beautiful music of Fanny Mendelssohn-Hensel. Combining live instrumental performance with a multi-sensory storytelling experience, our new show, Mendelssohn and the Moving Machines, invites children to enter a magical world of musical discovery. Your donation will support the creation of the show, subsidised performances for primary and Special Educational Needs schools, plus additional training and support for teachers. And, for one week only, anything you donate will be DOUBLED – meaning we can give even more children their first live concert.

Please donate today, and give a child the chance to learn, imagine and play through music.

The Big Give FAQs

What is the Big Give Christmas Challenge?

The Big Give Christmas Challenge is the UK’s largest online match funding campaign. For seven days from Tuesday 28 November – Tuesday 5 December, donations made to participating charities will be doubled (while match funds last).

How will my donation be doubled?

During the Christmas Challenge, donations from £5 to £5,000 will be doubled. So a donation of £5 will be doubled to £10, £50 will be doubled to £100, £500 will be doubled to £1000 – and so on! Your donations will be doubled by generous match funding from our supporters and our Big Give Champion, The Reed Foundation. We have £9,000 of match funding available, which means that if we reach our target, we’ll raise an incredible £18,000 for our new Far, Far Away show.

How long will the match funding last?

The first £9,000 of donations will be doubled. Once all our match funding is used up, donations will no longer be doubled but we can still accept donations until midday on Tuesday 5 December.

Is there a minimum or maximum donation?

The Big Give is able to accept donations from £1 upwards; we welcome gifts of any size. The maximum single donation is £25,000.

Can I donate now?

Not just yet! You will be able to donate from midday on Tuesday 28 November until midday on Tuesday 5 December. Please note that donations outside this period will not be doubled. When the Challenge opens, a link will appear on this page to make a donation. If you’d like to receive a reminder please pledge your support on the form above.

Can I add Gift Aid to my donation?

Yes. If you are a UK taxpayer, you can add Gift Aid to your donation via the Big Give website. Please note that Gift Aid is not matched.

What payment methods can I use?

Donations to the Christmas Challenge can only be made online. The Big Give accept all major debit and credit cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay. They also accept BACS donations of £500 or more by creating a Big Give donor account, you can find out more about how to make a BACS donation here. The Big Give do not accept donations made by cash or cheque. If you experience any difficulty making a donation, please contact Camilla Carden (020 7014 2816 / camilla@auroraorchestra.com) who will be able to assist.

Any other questions?

If you have any other questions, or would like to discuss a potential donation, please contact Helen McKeown, Development Manager (020 7014 2816 / helen@auroraorchestra.com).