In 2015 ARCO Soweto began as an innovative string teaching alliance between the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire (RBC) and Morris Isaacson Centre for Music (MICM) based in Soweto, Johannesburg.

Team teaching was central to ARCO Soweto from the beginning, with teachers on the ground delivering a 30-minute lesson each week, supported by an additional 30-minute weekly online lesson delivered by RBC student teachers and staff. The very first cohort of Sowetan students consisted of 12 violinists and 6 cellists, later expanding to add violists and bassists.

In 2021 ARCO branched out to include weekly woodwind and brass lessons, including flute, saxophone, trumpet, trombone and horn. In addition, ARCO also provided weekly vocal lessons for gifted mezzo soprano Buhle Nebulane. 

The ARCO online teaching provision included 1:1 instrumental lessons for all of the instruments listed above for students between the ages of 6 and 19. In addition ARCO conducted performance and scale classes, chamber music coaching, workshops, Q & A’s with notable role performers and creators around the world and even live-streamed student concerts.

ARCO collected donations of over forty instruments and cases including violins, violas, cellos and double basses donated by luthiers, retailers and private donors from across the UK, which arrived in Soweto in March 2018. The list donors includes Cardiff Violins, Tim Toft Violins, Moseley Violins, Thwaites, Bishop Instruments, Ayres Violins and Paul Evans. The Sound Post later donated around 30 bows.