Open Arms: Sunderland’s City-Wide Anthem & Music Video
- Paul Waite
- 11 minutes ago
- 2 min read
A city-wide celebration — and you’re invited
We’re proud to announce Open Arms — a city-wide anthem and official music video project led by Northern Daughters and delivered by I-Stage Group (ISG).
Commissioned by Sunderland City Council as part of One Big Summer (the wraparound programme celebrating BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend coming to Sunderland), Open Arms is all about bringing people together to celebrate the spirit of our city — its pride, warmth, energy and identity.
At the heart of the project is an original song, “Open Arms,” created by Northern Daughters with a message of welcome and inclusion — a soundtrack for Sunderland as we get ready to welcome visitors, music fans and headline artists to the city.
The song will be released and available on all major streaming platforms on Friday 22nd May
The big moment: a flashmob-style performance at Keel Square
We’re inviting Sunderland to be right at the heart of this project.
On Saturday 23rd May at 3:00pm, we’ll be filming a large flashmob-style performance at Keel Square, Sunderland — and we’d love schools, businesses, community groups and local organisations to take part and feature in the official Open Arms music video.
Event details
• Date: Saturday 23rd May
• Time: 3:00pm (participants are asked to arrive in the square before 3:00pm)
• Location: Keel Square, Sunderland
How to get involved (schools, businesses and community groups)
In the lead-up to the event, ISG and Northern Daughters will be out across Sunderland as part of an outreach programme — visiting schools and community groups to teach the Open Arms chorus and a simple, inclusive routine designed to be accessible and adaptable for all ages and abilities.
We’ll also be sharing a short video so participants can practise in advance, and the choreography will be available online via Northern Daughters’ TikTok.
If your school, business or community group is based in Sunderland and you’d like to be involved, please email enquiries@istagegroup.com.
Why Open Arms matters
Open Arms is more than a music video — it’s a chance to create a shared moment of connection and pride, and a lasting digital asset that Sunderland can use long after the summer celebrations.
By taking part, groups and organisations will:
• Be part of a positive, city-wide celebration
• Help showcase Sunderland’s people and places
• Create a lasting legacy project for the city
• Support young local talent and creative opportunity
About Northern Daughters
Northern Daughters are a Sunderland-based teenage girl band passionate about inspiring young people through music and performance. Open Arms is a chance for them to give something back to their home city — and to invite Sunderland to join them in creating something genuinely inclusive and uplifting.
Funding
This project is part-funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
Join us
Whether you’re a school, a business, a community group or a local organisation — we’d love you to be part of Open Arms.
To register your interest, email enquiries@istagegroup.com and our team will share the next steps.
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