TOMODACHI Goldman Sachs Music Outreach Program Hosts One-Day Workshop

On July 21, 2025, the TOMODACHI Goldman Sachs Music Outreach Program held a one-day workshop in Tokyo for children from child welfare and single-mother support facilities. A total of 78 children, ranging from first graders in elementary school to third-year high school students, participated from 19 facilities across Tokyo, Chiba, Kanagawa, Ibaraki, and Shizuoka. They were joined by 38 facility staff members and 16 Goldman Sachs employee volunteers.
The workshop, conducted in collaboration with 30 cast members from the U.S.-based nonprofit HEART Global, invited participants to create a 15-minute performance of song and dance in just three hours. The program aims to bring hope and confidence to children through the arts, encourage them to experience the joy of new challenges and collaborative creation, and broaden their perspectives through interaction with people of different ages and cultural backgrounds. It also forms part of Goldman Sachs’ employee volunteer initiatives.

 

Encouraged by the lively guidance of the cast members from 10 different countries, the children gradually opened up, smiling as they took on challenging dance steps and songs in English. A junior high school participant shared, “I thought I couldn’t do it at first, but with encouragement I was able to enjoy the challenge.” A third grader said, “I just wanted to keep going forever!” Facility staff also reflected on the experience, with one commenting, “It was an experience that made me feel liberated together with the children.” At the end of the workshop, all participants came together to deliver a united performance.
For the past ten years, this program has supported children, and once again, it provided an opportunity to make a significant impact on the participants.