Original Abba members celebrate launch of expanded education programme in London

Abba Voyage concerts can be deafening enough. But when the real-life Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad made an appearance in the hall, which was packed with hundreds of schoolchildren, even the security staff present were surprised by the din.On Tuesday, at the custom-built Abba Arena in London" class="entity-link entity-location" data-entity-id="44651" data-entity-type="location">East London, the virtual concert residency launched its expanded education programme which aims to support young people across the area to get into the creative industries.The new initiatives include an autumn school programme and a mentoring scheme. The programme also aims to offer apprenticeship opportunities within local entertainment venues, many of which relocated to or expanded in Stratford after the area’s regeneration for the 2012 Olympics.For the launch event, Abba Voyage invited several local schools to enjoy the live concert experience. Earplugs were supplied for free before the event, more so to protect ears from the young attenders’ screams than the concert acoustics.Unlike most school trips, there were no pleas to sit still and be quiet. Teachers were instead encouraging students out of their seats, bouncing and singing along themselves. Children soon began swinging their hi-vis jackets over their heads, belting along to perennial hits such as Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! and SOS, which have enjoyed new virality on TikTok.At the end of the performance, Andersson and Lyngstad made a surprise appearance, leading a rendition of Thank You for the Music before meeting some of the children.The Abba Voyage virtual concert stars de-aged holograms of the Swedish pop band’s members. Photograph: Johan Persson/Abba Voyage/PASpeaking after the concert, Andersson, 79, reflected on the patience needed for songwriting: “To write a bad song is easy, to write a good song, you need to sit down there for hours and days and weeks before something might pop up.”He added that he still sits at the piano every day to try to write music: “Sometimes things come out, the dragon comes out of the cave, but very rarely nowadays.”Asked if the four members of the band were still friends, Lyngstad said: “We’re always friends, even if we live in different countries.”The initiatives aim to connect young east Londoners with arts and entertainment companies and venues. The programme could “transform early inspiration into tangible career pathways”, said Shazia Hussain, the CEO of the London-legacy-development-corporation" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="140442" data-entity-type="organization">London Legacy Development Corporation, who worked with Abba Voyage to develop the new programme.Craig Hartenstine, the CEO for Abba Voyage, said the programme aimed to help young people “build the skills and confidence that can lead to real opportunities in the future”.He added: “We’re proud of what has already been achieved alongside our partners, and excited to deepen that impact through new mentoring, training and employment pathways in the years ahead.”The event comes a week after the publication of Alan Milburn’s report into youth unemployment, warning of a “lost generation” with significant economic costs for the rest of the UK. The report found that about one in eight young people across the UK are not in education, employment or training (Neet).The Abba Arena in Stratford has committed to employing at least half of its staff from the surrounding area. Photograph: Stephen Chung/AlamyAbba Voyage has already engaged with 8,500 young people through its existing initiatives such as twice-yearly concerts for nearby London state schools.As part of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park’s Talent Pathways programme, Abba Voyage has helped young people’s ticket schemes to improve access to live music experiences. The venue has also committed to local employment, agreeing to source a minimum of 50% of its employees from the surrounding area.Abba Voyage, which opened in 2022, stars de-aged, realistic holograms of the Swedish pop band members. The virtual show attracted more than two million visitors and raked in at least £1.4bn for the UK economy in its first two years.Formed in 1972, the Swedish pop group was composed of Andersson, Lyngstad, Agnetha Faltskog and Bjorn Ulvaeus. It became one of the most popular musical groups of all time, producing beloved pop hits such as Mamma Mia and Dancing Queen, and selling an estimated 150m-400m records worldwide.