Founded in 2010, Démos promotes cultural democratisation through the performance of orchestra music. It trains the future citizens of the 21st century by putting music at the heart of their personal development, and by giving a central place to social work.

As part of an overall educational and artistic program, Démos teaches classical music to children who, for economic, social or geographical reasons, would normally not have access to this genre. The project is aimed at children aged 7 to 12 living in designated urban (“QPV”) or rural (“ZRR”) areas. Every child is given a musical instrument for three years. The different groups of children who make up an orchestra take weekly classes (lasting three and a half hours on average) divided by instrument families and given by music professionals and staff working in the social sector. They regularly come together for an orchestral rehearsal (tutti). 

The success of the program is, in no small part, attributable to the customised educational framework, cooperation between cultural and social players, the development of a specific collective teaching approach and the ongoing training of all parties involved.

Since 2010, over 12,000 children, from all over France, have taken part in Démos. The project, initially focused on the greater Paris area, was rolled out nationally from 2015 and now has around 50 orchestras across France, including overseas territories.