A REVIEW OF THE ACADEMIC YEAR 2017-18 FROM THE CREATIVE ARTS DEPARTMENTS
PLATINUM ARTSMARK AWARD STATUS The Boys’ Division received the Platinum Artsmark Award in September 2018, confirming that the School’s arts and cultural provision is of the highest possible standard.
The Artsmark assessment panel commented: “Your school has an excellent range of offer and this has deepened as you have developed inter-departmental collaboration, digital creativity and pupil self-management, with Arts Award going from strength to strength. You have extended your already excellent partnerships with arts providers and have established links that will see you strongly influencing provision for the arts beyond your setting. As this progresses over time, as you showcase high quality teaching of the arts in your CPD offer to other settings, as pupils themselves become ambassadors for the arts and support CPD beyond your setting, and as you build case studies that evidence the positive impact of the arts on outcomes for young people, you will make a major contribution to the advocacy of the arts in your region.
“Congratulations on your Artsmark Platinum Award!”
The School’s Director of Creative Learning and Partnerships Miss Naomi Lord said, “We are very proud to receive this level of recognition for our work in School and with the wider community. It represents our ongoing commitment to arts and cultural education at a governing body level and to the provision of opportunities that stretch our whole School setting.
“Our pupils are offered equal opportunity to influence, lead, experience and evaluate a broad range of high-quality arts and cultural activities across a wide range of media. We enjoy strong partnerships with arts and cultural organisations and the long-lasting positive impact of this collaboration is evident across School life. We are looking forward to establishing our position as a regional and national opinion former within arts education, as further progress to the leadership role we have established locally.”
The Platinum Award has been achieved following two years of development, which began with an assessment of the arts and cultural experiences already on offer. This process revealed interesting interdisciplinary opportunities and openings for collaboration, which have in turn helped to enhance under-represented areas.
Provision has been refined: all Years 7 pupils are now invited to design and fulfil individual creative projects through Bronze Arts Awards over the course of Lower School, with the option to progress to Silver and Gold. The school’s technicians and librarians as well as teachers are trained as Arts Award advisors and support pupils with research skills and technical expertise. Boys can weave together interests across different strands of the curriculum, echoing the school’s ethos of ‘education all round’.
In response to the increased scope of arts and culture, Headmaster Philip Britton created new roles: in addition to the pre-existing Director of Community Music Mr Bleasdale, a Director of Creative Learning and Partnerships, Miss Lord, and an Arts Award Co-ordinator, Miss Sherry, have been appointed. Governor Helen Critchlow is the dedicated caretaker of creative arts in school. Amongst other projects, she has been involved with planning the upcoming Open Arts Exhibition, which will showcase artwork by current and former pupils, parents and staff.
Alumni links are key for pupils interested in pursuing a creative arts career. Old Boys frequently return not just to speak to pupils, but to offer masterclasses and mentoring. Most recently Ralf Little worked with drama students; boys have also worked with Andy Patterson (film producer), Brian Appleyard (journalist and author), Barney Pilling (film producer), Mark Radcliffe (broadcaster) and Robin Partington (architect). In 2015 Sir Ian McKellen returned to meet pupils, lecture in the Great Hall and ratify the school’s work as Stonewall Champions. Through teachers and specialised careers days, boys are able to access feedback from and ongoing contact with alumni.
External partnerships have developed exponentially since the school first applied for the Artsmark, and the school is part of the Arts Council’s Local Cultural Education Partnership (LCEP) programme.
Theatre in residence projects with RoughHouse Theatre culminated in public verbatim theatre productions, presenting community voices back to the community. In the first Artsmark year, this was related to opinions on race and justice. The second year was based on the Mass Observation project which started in Bolton and the resulting production ‘Worktown: My Room, My Bolton’ was performed as part of wider community partnership projects: the Bolton Station Community Gala and The Leverhulme Festival, a pupil-led takeover day at Port Sunlight. At both events, pupils also provided musical entertainment and art exhibitions.
Work with the Octagon Theatre has grown to include visiting productions. The Arts Centre became a venue for the Octagon’s Reveal festival: 600 primary school pupils attended ‘Penguins’, a show about family diversity commissioned by Birmingham Repertory Theatre and Stonewall, and the school offered related drama CPD for primary colleagues.
Bolton School enjoys enduring relationships with Bolton Music Service, Greater Manchester Music Hub, Dance Manchester, Bolton University, Skyblue Theatre Company, the Globe Theatre, Neo-Artist studios and multiple local primary and secondary schools. New partnership work with Bolton FM, Bolton Film Festival and the RNCM will offer even more opportunities.
Each area of the creative arts is well resourced: pupils use the school’s multiple on-site theatre venues, studio spaces, screen-printing equipment, kiln, dark room, soundproof booth and recording studio. Young musicians perform both in school and beyond in local primary schools through the Community Music Programme, at Bolton’s Victoria Hall and at Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall. Further engagement with arts and culture is provided through extensive regional, national and international theatre, concert and gallery trips.
Artsmark is a standard mark reviewed every two years. On that basis, planning is already under way to capitalise on the strong foundations of the Platinum Award to inform education in local, regional and national contexts. To this end, the school is part of a regional digital arts initiative and the Royal Society of Arts (RSA) cultural learning working group, focused on reimagining the creative curriculum for the 21st century.
The Platinum Artsmark attests that arts and cultural provision is flourishing in the Boys’ Division, and there are still more creative prospects lined up for the coming academic year and beyond.
DRAMA NOTES, 2018 This academic year has been packed full of cultural learning, formally in curriculum lessons, and informally in enrichment sessions and trips, creating opportunities for pupils to express their ideas and establish informed values. Through theatre-based arts, boys have been encouraged to explore other cultures, their local community, theatre design, the arts industry and have been inspired to contribute to a year-long schedule of high quality public performances. What follows offers some glimpses of the social, academic and personal activities boys pursued in 2017/18. Miss N R Lord
SENIOR JOINT PRODUCTION; SHAKESPEARE’S THE TEMPEST
This year’s Senior Joint Production of Shakespeare’s The Tempest brought “such stuff / As dreams are made on” for audiences on all four nights of its run. There was both magic and drama in the air as the cast of pupils, drawn from Years 10 to 13 in both Divisions, played out Shakespeare’s complex tragicomedy directed by Miss Lord.
The staging transformed the Arts Centre into Prospero’s magical island: a sandy ‘shore’ between the two ranks of seating was surrounded by familiar ‘flotsam and jetsam’ piled in strange arrangements, evoking both the shipwreck Prospero causes at the opening of The Tempest and the strange land its survivors find themselves in. The play’s elaborate and enchanting soundscape transported the audience still further into another space and time.
Mohammad Master inhabited the part of Prospero: the sorcerer in charge of the mystical island. He delivered his orders and soliloquies alike with confidence, and was a charming and powerful conductor of the action of the play.
Sammy Gatenby-Brown’s Ariel effortlessly commanded the elements and controlled different characters on Prospero’s behalf through measured and accomplished movements of the Ariel Troupe (Dom Aly, Emilie Fielding, Charlie Griffith, Rosalyn Harper and Aden Stephenson), which added an extra supernatural element to the performance. Sammy brought a light touch to the magic of The Tempest while never letting the audience forget that he is a reluctant slave to Prospero, longing to be free. Meanwhile, Adam Critchlow’s sympathetic portrayal of the ‘manmonster’ Caliban made his plight seem all the more unfair. He was particularly compelling during Caliban's famous speech about the island’s magic: “Be not afeared; the isle is full of noises / Sounds, and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not.”
The drunken scenes Caliban shared with The Tempest’s clowns, Stephano (Milo Holmes) and Trinculo (James Stevens), were very well executed and the three threw themselves into the revelry and physical comedy. The play’s humorous, rebellious subplot and the cast’s familiarity with the text allowed them to ad lib to hilarious comedic effect.
Antonio (Alex Ramwell) and Sebastian (Stewart Knights) became a cutting double-act with their sarcastic commentary on the grieving state of King Alonso (George Morgan) and the utopian optimism of Gonzalo (Ali Khalid). However, the pair also brought the intensity necessary for their attempted murder plot.
Pupils performing in the chorus had a vital role to fulfil throughout the play. They were particularly effective in creating Prospero’s storm through a dramatic movement piece, and also added excitement and vitality to the marriage masque dance. Dr Kell and Mrs Fielding respectively led the choreography and rehearsal of these set pieces.
Lizzie Crowther and Jay Harland presented a heartfelt account of The Tempest’s virtuous love story, but also added to the music of the play in their roles as Miranda and Ferdinand: Lizzie sang during the opening and Jay during the marriage masque. The musicality of The Tempest was further enhanced by powerful live percussion using drums crafted from huge tyres which were incorporated into the set, performed by Jean-Paul Asumu, Adam Critchlow, Owen Critchlow, Will Hardy and James Stevens.
The background sounds of The Tempest were created using numerous sonic elements from the natural world, interwoven with ‘magical’ elements. The Senior Joint Orchestra recorded a short composed piece, which was then stretched and modulated into a feedback loop to create a sound which suggested the island’s supernatural and beautiful qualities. Other sequences mimicked Shinto rituals and taiko instruments from Japan and AMOS analogue synthesis evoked the more wrathful magic of the storm, while the marriage masque used Samba and Afro-Cuban rhythms from South America. The music was composed and processed by visiting musical director Liam Maloney, from the University of York, and conducted by Miss Sherry.
During the interval, the audience moved to the Leverhulme Suite to enjoy an Art Exhibition, featuring work by Stewart Knights inspired by The Tempest, and a display on mages like Prospero in modern literature. There was also a selection of home-made cakes and drinks provided by the Parents’ Associations.
Stewart was also responsible for the design of the tickets and programme. Sam Warburton provided programme content and dramaturgical support for the production.
The performances of The Tempest were spectacular occasions for all four audiences. The cast and crew received glowing and well-deserved congratulations from the Heads, family members, staff and fellow pupils as the Joint Production came to an end on Saturday night.
Park Road pupils enjoyed an afternoon on the set of The Tempest as part of their Shakespeare Week led by Mr Franklin. Over the course of the afternoon, pupils were introduced to key scenes from the show performed by Mohammad Master (Prospero) and Adam Critchlow (Caliban) who answered questions about their roles and acting in general. Liam Maloney (visiting musical director) demonstrated the various musical states and sound beds of the island and Mr Deakin (technical director) demonstrated the accompanying lighting states and special effects. Boys and staff examined the magical tools of Prospero and Ariel and were treated to a walk around the set, including an opportunity for photographs, assuming Prospero’s position of power on the gantry.
Special thanks to supporting staff Mr Deakin, Mr Kyle, the Estates team, Liam Maloney, Mrs Sutcliffe, Miss Sherry, Mrs Fielding, Dr Kell, Mrs Brewer, Mrs Ryder and those who helped Front of House. Further thanks to Mrs Critchlow and Parents Association bakers for looking after us so well in the intervals.
LOWER SCHOOL DRAMA CLUB PRESENTS ERNIE’S INCREDIBLE ILLUCINATIONS
The Lower School Production of Alan Ayckbourn’s comic play was both a delight and great success. The boys, directed by Miss Holroyd, delivered a slick and purposeful performance. The play follows Ernie Fraser, a young boy, who has an active imagination, but, to the horror of his family, his ‘illucinations’ have a tendency to turn into reality. When, for instance, Ernie wonders what would happen if a squad of soldiers were to turn up at his front door, having been tipped off about a secret radio transmitter, inevitably hilarious moments ensue. In sheer desperation, Ernie’s parents consult with a doctor and attempt to explain the strange events that have been occurring (mountaineering in a local library, secret agents, a boxing granny...!), but all does not go to plan. A vibrant and lively cast were crucial to the play’s success. Owais Khan relished the opportunity to open the play in the role of a German officer, who threatened that the audience would ‘never be seen again’ if they did not turn off their mobile phones! Ernie was expertly played in a bright and knowingly mischievous manner by Marcus Ashall-Payne and he was well supported by Matthew Settle and Thomas Hothersall in the role of Ernie’s parents. The repartee between the two was highly amusing with Thomas, the gruff and broad Northerner alongside Matthew’s elderly and rather fussy character.
Luke Pek portrayed the rather world-weary doctor very well, with his initial interest soon bordering on impatience as he sought to dispense with the family in place of his full waiting room of what appeared to be particularly flu-ridden patients. Another stand-out performance was that of Finley Littlefair, Ernie’s elderly Auntie May, resplendent in purple. Ernie is determined to watch a boxing bout at a local funfair, much to his Auntie’s chagrin. However, Ernie is shocked when his Aunt then challenges the ruling champion and goes on to win the bout! The supporting cast added a real sense of fun to the play, with several boys taking on a variety of roles. The fairground touts were particularly convincing in persuading the crowds of the spectacles and acts available at the fair, and acted with both confidence and enjoyment.
DRAMA GCSE This year, boys in Year 11 presented scene selections from Jekyll and Hyde and A Christmas Carol for examination, working on lighting, sound and set design as well as performance.
Boys in Year 10 worked on devised pieces inspired by Kim Cogan’s paintings and Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. They also led visitors from China in physical theatre activities, enjoyed a page to stage War Horse workshop at the Lowry Theatre, a matinee of the touring production and a follow-up workshop in school based on the production’s rehearsal methods and use of Handsprung Company puppets.
LOWER SCHOOL DRAMA Boys in Lower School were introduced to a range of drama skills by their teachers Mr Williams, Ms Thomson, Miss Harper and Miss Holroyd. They also had the opportunity to work on scene selections or play reductions selected by their teachers. Miss Harper’s classes presented work in year group assemblies.
Miss Harper’s classes take over year group form periods.
Ms Thomson’s class working on tableaux.
Mr Williams working through Chekov’s psychological gestures exercises with Year 7.
REVIEW OF THEATRE TRIPS – A STUDENT REFLECTS
This year has seen a variety of theatre trips, allowing pupils the opportunity to experience plays ranging from the revenge tragedies of William Shakespeare and John Webster all the way to a contemporary piece exploring life in 21st Century Manchester. These visits to renowned regional theatres such as The Lowry and The Royal Exchange as well as to the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Theatre in Stratford upon Avon have not only supported pupils in their study of English and Drama but have crucially allowed them to develop a passion for cultural studies, touching on history, gender, race, stagecraft, classics, war and many other issues relevant to modern life. During the first weeks of the School year, a small group of Classics and English pupils travelled down to Stratford upon Avon in order to watch a performance of Vice-Versa, a modern adaptation of the Roman comic playwright Plautus’ The Braggart Soldier. Staged in the smaller, more intimate Swan Theatre pupils enjoyed a lively, interactive afternoon complete with mischievous monkeys and hapless slaves. Pupils studying Plautus gained a unique appreciation of the play as a comic performance rather than simply a text, noting how staging and interactive humour play an important role. Overall this was a thoroughly enjoyable Saturday afternoon set against the backdrop of scenic Stratford upon Avon. In January, pupils enjoyed a performance of Guys and Dolls during what would be the first of many trips to The Royal Exchange in Manchester. The show was brought to the Exchange by Talawa, Britain’s foremost black led theatre company, who successfully adapted the original 1950s text, making it relevant to modern society through exploration of race relations in the US and of the culture and music of African American communities. This, alongside powerful, vibrant renditions of the musical’s much-loved songs such as ‘Luck Be a Lady’, made this a stand-out show, leaving pupils and staff with much to mull over and discuss.
Following a critically acclaimed run in Stratford-upon-Avon in 2016, pupils had the opportunity to see rising star Paapa Essiedu reprise the title role in a riveting and contemporary take on Hamlet at the Lowry Theatre.
A second visit to The Royal Exchange marked a dramatic shift in tone. The lights, energy and music of Guys and Dolls were replaced by snap blackouts, macabre properties and a terrifying abomination in a theatrical rendition of Mary Shelley’s famous gothic novel Frankenstein. Perhaps the most immersive and certainly the tensest performance enjoyed this year, Frankenstein gripped the audience from start to finish. Blackouts and sharp music coupled with an eerie backdrop and grisly body parts created a suitably gothic backdrop which complimented Harry Attwell’s showstealing performance as the Creature whose haunting monologues about human nature and loneliness simultaneously disturbed and evoked sympathy from the audience. This play certainly did justice to Shelley’s text and despite a few moments of raised blood pressure and cold sweats this was a superb experience.
A group of particularly dedicated Sixth Form English students payed a further visit to the Exchange during their half term break. Using the historic building as an ideal location for some revision, the class then enjoyed an immersive performance of Mixtape, a newly devised piece by the Exchange’s Young Company which used music as a means to explore the diversity of life in modern Manchester. Despite the threat of audience participation, namely dancing on stage, which struck fear into the heart of pupil and staff alike (Miss Lord surprisingly did not volunteer), this lively performance contained an entertaining blend of humour, music and message, dealing with emotional themes from homosexuality and race to social media and disability.
Another highlight of the year came in the Summer Term as A Level pupils once again journeyed to Stratford to enjoy the infamously gory tragedy The Duchess of Malfi by John Webster. This performance made full, gothic use of the Swan’s enclosed atmosphere and featured a symbolic carcass stung up on the stage throughout, gallons of blood and brutal murders that overspilled the stage to the extent that the front row were given blankets to protect them from the bloody mess. However this performance was not simply a gory horror, as these elements were utilised in order to highlight the destructive nature of corruption, betrayal and revenge whilst the noble Duchess’ purity was highlighted through graceful singing in the face of these horrors. Pupils studying the text at A Level undoubtedly benefitted from this viewing which made for a dark but wonderfully entertaining afternoon in Stratford.
The final theatre trip of the year took place at The Lowry in the heart of Salford. Pupils from across the school were treated to a performance of Michael Morpurgo’s iconic novel War Horse adapted by the National Theatre for the stage. Whilst all were familiar with the heart wrenching tale of a young man separated from his beloved horse Joey due to the horrors of World War One, pupils were able to fully appreciate the text in its context thanks to an interactive workshop with the cast which taught pupils much about the grim reality of war as well as the stagecraft and puppetry behind the play. Moreover pupils enjoyed their lunchtime at the Imperial War Museum, a vital opportunity for cultural studies which allowed pupils to set the play in a very real and often harrowing context. Sixth from literature students who had studied the war from a Modernist perspective were also delighted to discover artwork from vorticist Wyndham Lewis in the Museum. After this came the play itself which perfectly captured the horror of war through sudden explosions and intimidating tanks whilst also paying tribute to the fundamental kindness and resilience of
human nature through comic moments and scenes of genuine empathy even across enemy lines. This day trip was educationally invaluable but also managed to entertain pupils of all ages from the school. I hope this summary encapsulates the sheer breadth of culturally enriching theatre trips which have been enjoyed this year. I should like to sincerely thank Miss Lord and other accompanying staff for the efforts they put in behind the scenes to organise such a variety of excellent trips. I know personally and from others how much that effort means to pupils who benefit from these pursuits. Sam Warburton 13f
ENRICHMENT In June, boys had the unique experience of interacting with members of the War Horse Creative and Acting Company to explore some of the background principles of puppetry, the rehearsal and technical processes that have brought this magical production to life, as well as a chance to ask questions of company members. They then watched a matinee of the production and reflected upon the actors’ performances and the design. Then, at the beginning of July, boys enjoyed a workshop in School that allowed them to explore first-hand the rehearsal techniques of the War Horse show including experiments with Japanese Bunraku puppetry, the preferred method of Handsprung, the company who created the shows signature puppets.
Boys enjoy a matinee of War Horse and a visit to the Imperial War Museum to provide detailed context to the show.
Boys enjoy a bunraku puppetry session with Lowry Theatre practitioner.
Y7 OCTAGON THEATRE EXPERIENCE, GALLERY VISIT AND ROUGHHOUSE TASTER SESSION
As part of the SPACE enrichment programme, Year 7 boys enjoyed a trip to the Octagon Theatre to find out more about the range of jobs available in that branch of the creative industries. They also took part in a practical research and development session for a play commissioned by School, My Room My Bolton, with our resident theatre company and visited an exhibition at Bolton Art Gallery that presented scenes of Bolton by various artists included some from the Mass Observation movement. Boys’ reflections on the Bolton scenes were taken away by RoughHouse to incorporate into the script of My Room My Bolton. Boys also visited the set of Big Corner, an Octagon show about Bolton playwright Bill Naughton and Mass Observation.
LOWER SCHOOL SPECIAL EFFECTS MAKEUP CLASSES As part of SPACE enrichment sessions, boys in Years 7 to 9 enjoyed masterclasses in SFX makeup including cuts, burns and grazes, aging and facial hair. The boys thoroughly enjoyed the sessions and managed to create some believable injury applications.
SHAKESPEARE WITH SKYBLUE THEATRE COMPANY Boys in Year 9 enjoyed an interactive performance of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet as part of the SPACE programme and to complement their work in English. The actors introduced the audience to each character as they rolled out the plot with pupils taking on each role. Character motivation and context were reasoned out as the session progressed. Once the play had been considered in its entirety, the actors presented the scene where the Capulets and Montagues clash in the streets of Verona at the start of the play. This allowed boys to consider the varied subtle meanings of lines in performance and they relished the opportunity to direct.
OLD BOY RALF DELIVERS ACTING MASTERCLASS Aspiring Senior School actors enjoyed an instructive masterclass in the hands of Ralf Little, who left Bolton School in 1998. Enjoying himself immensely, Ralf, now a household name after starring in the Royle Family and Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps, asked the boys to read unseen script extracts from television, film and theatre. The boys were given three scripts to pour over and to then interpret in their own way.
The TV script was from the Royle Family (where Barbara had just cut Jim’s hair), the film clip was from 24 Hour Party People, in which Ralf played Peter Hook, Joy Division’s bassist and the theatre dialogue was from Ugly Lies the Bone, a play written by his New York-based girlfriend Lindsey Ferrentino in which Ralf performed at the National Theatre. The boys were asked to perform the different scenes in their own style and Ralf was very impressed by the manner in which they set about the task and their final interpretations. He was particularly impressed with their ability to interpret character as the character names had been stripped from the documents. The Old Boy had much advice for the boys, including writing about what you know and he told them for drama to work, the characters need to be invested with a view or polemic. Sometimes, he said, dialogue can work better if the precise problem is not articulated; the indirect approach can be more interesting. He also provided examples of using
overheard conversations verbatim from real life and illustrated how hanging ideas on tropes or stereotypes can also work. He told the select gathering that his own mother says the maddest things. He quoted Jesse Armstrong and Sam Bain, co-creators of the Inbetweeners, who said as a writer you have to have a balance of humility and arrogance in order to take criticism but also to believe that your writing is the best. He said what they were doing with the lines was the question that all actors struggle with – how can I take these ideas and words and relay them to others? Ralf congratulated the boys on making the lines work and said he had seen plenty of professional actors who cannot read scripts for the first time that well! He also told pupils, having set up his own production company, he had come to learn that writing your own scripts is a good thing to do and a process by which you learn – and you are fruitfully making use of your time rather than just waiting for your agent to call!
In a questions and answers session with the boys, Ralf said that whilst taking GCSE or A Level Drama wasn’t and still probably isn’t critical to a career in acting, the subject is vital to fostering early passion and expression. He also told the students that all actors have a fear of the unknown, however successful they may be. It is a pervading shadow as you are at the mercy of other people’s whims. He mentioned that actors often wonder, if your last production bombs, then what next? Post-session, Ralph said: “This is my first ‘official’ visit to Bolton School in almost 20 years. It is an extraordinary school. I was aware that it was 20 years ago when I was here but I can see that astonishing progress has been made with the building of the Arts Centre and that the opportunities, support and facilities for pupils is even better than in my day. The arts are clearly burgeoning here.” Earlier in the day, he spoke with an audience which included sports talent, musicians, drama students and those interested in a career in medicine as he reflected on his own experience of juggling other interests whilst studying and applying to Medical School. In the evening he delivered the Tillotson lecture to an audience of pupils, parents, teachers, Old Boys and friends of the School. In a later tweet, he said: “Had an unbelievably enjoyable day at my old school yesterday. Nice to see (and gently mock!) some of my old teachers too. Current set of pupils smart, eloquent, charming and polite. The future is bright @BoltonSchool. Thanks for the welcome.”
BOLTON DIVERSITY AWARDS Our pupil adaptation of R.J. Palacio’s novel Wonder (Lower School Joint Production, 2017) was shortlisted for a Bolton Diversity Award. Boys enjoyed attending the awards ceremony at Bolton Town Hall.
COMMUNITY ARTS PENGUINS In May, Penguins visited our Arts and Conference centre as part of the Octagon Theatre’s Reveal season. Penguins, a co-production between Cahoots NI, Birmingham Repertory Theatre and Prime Theatre, is a unique and engaging show for children about friendship, fun, identity and the ever-changing meaning of family. We welcomed 600+ Early Years, Infant and Junior school children to watch the production, a story about Roy and Silo, two male chinstrap penguins who lived at New York’s Central Zoo, hatched an abandoned egg and raised a chick together.
Penguins is story about friendship, acceptance and the ever-changing definition of what makes a family and was supported by free drama and diversity workshops for teachers. The creative team included award-winning children's director Paul Bosco McEneaney and international choreographer Carlos Pons Guerra.
BOLTON STATION COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP
Bolton School Boys’ Division, which is part of the Bolton Station Development Partnership, provided actors, artists and musicians to entertain at the Bolton Station Community Gala, held at the town’s railway station and transport interchange. The Saturday celebration marked 50 years, to the day, since the last steam train left the town’s locomotive sheds on Crescent Road and celebrated all things relating to public transport.
In collaboration with RoughHouse Young Company, actors from across the year groups of the Boys’ Division, performed My Room, My Bolton, a specially commissioned play inspired by Bolton’s part in the 1930s Mass Observation Project. Travellers and rail enthusiasts were halted in their tracks as boys took their play to the general public, performing on the concourse of the town’s transport Interchange and then handing out jam and scones to the audience! Alongside ‘the stage’, Year 7 boys’ stunning train artwork was also displayed and, later in the day, former pupil and singer James Edgington delivered a wonderful set of pop classics.
The action-packed gala also included vintage bus rides, a miniature railway, poetry, 35 stalls including face-painting as well as live music and theatre. It was the culmination of the coming together of a number of groups to breathe live back into the railway station as a community hub. Further exciting developments of space in the railway station are planned for the near future.
As part of community rail partnership work, Miss Lord represented School at a Huddersfield University conference facilitating professionals from the Department of Transport, representatives of London Transport and Manchester stations through to community leaders at local rural stations. The purpose was to introduce arts and culture practice to station hubs to promote increased diversity in projects and participation at established and new station renovations. Such community initiatives seek to establish vertical and lateral community and institutional links, from an educational point of view, promoting applied, socially engaged and aspirational opportunities for pupils.
THEATRE COMPANY IN RESIDENCE: MY ROOM MY BOLTON PERFORMING CONNECTIVITY LEADS TO LIVING CONNECTIVITY “A city is more than a place in space, it is a drama in time.” Sir Patrick Geddes The profound and complex relationships we have with the notion of ‘home’, be they framed by memory, postcode, bricks and mortar, travel, transience, cultural heritage, disenfranchisement, representation, nationalism or refugeeism, sat at the heart of our performing arts projects this year. Exploring the notion of feeling at home has unlocked conversations about identity, neighbourliness, locality, community and civic duty. The project has helped us work towards an understanding of what thriving creative community partnerships and areabased learning might look like in Bolton. My Room My Bolton evolved in collaboration with RoughHouse Theatre Company, a residency project with 12 to 15 year olds. In the first year of our work together we used verbatim theatre methods to capture and present the authentic voices of our pupils and wider school community. Pupils carried out questionnaires and recorded conversations on matters of race and social justice. RoughHouse drew these words together into a script which was taken on a short public tour by our Young Company. It was apparent as the first phase unfolded, that the second year of residency would need to be outward-facing. We needed to enfranchise people both vertically and laterally if it were to achieve its aim of diverse and democratic representation of opinions and ideas.
Research and development quickly lead us to the Mass-Observation project, an extensive exploration of the conducts and customs of the people of Britain that began in Bolton in 1937, 80 years earlier. ‘Worktown’ was Mass Observation’s case study name for Bolton. Using the original directives of the movement, we asked about the personal: ‘Tell us about a room in your home.’ We also asked for personal views about the public: ‘How do you perceive Bolton? How do you
think Bolton is perceived by people that live elsewhere?’ We sent out questionnaires far and wide. We had conversations beyond our walls. Mass Observer and poet, Charles Madge pointed to a need for what he called ‘anthropology at home’. As we set the project going, work coincided with an article, ‘The north remembers: how once-proud Bolton became 'a nothing of a town', published by the Guardian. In the article Andy Walton reflected that Bolton town centre, the ‘commercial heart of one of the largest towns in the UK is in nothing less than an existential struggle.’ Sitting alongside this picture of the town is the Local Council’s Bolton Vision for 2030: ‘We want Bolton to be a vibrant place built on strong cohesive communities, successful businesses and healthy, engaged residents. It will be a welcoming place where people choose to study, work, invest and put down roots.’ The work also sits within the context of a loneliness epidemic. Over a quarter of all households in the UK contain just one person (circa 7.7 million people) with a sense that this number will rise by roughly two million as the next decade unfolds. The work sits within a crisis in education. Using cognitive scientist George Lakoff’s framing theory (moral and conceptual), we might note that extreme emphasis on testing and academic achievement limits the way pupils view reality and their relationships with their communities. With testing and achievement emphatically in the frame, pupils’ socio-political and cultural hinterland fall away, along with opportunities to foster strong relationships through collaborative, applied pathways. The voices captured in My Room My Bolton present a somewhat fractured community, labouring under the persisting stereotype that it’s ‘rough up north’, yet buoyed by pragmatic humour and an impetus to connect:
I am a human. I love Bolton. It’s where my parents grew up. My family are here and where my family belong, I belong. Bolton is a town with lots of different neighbourhoods. People are very attached to their own part. Not all areas are easy to love and where there are more social problems, it’s also not an easy place to live. From down south, Bolton isn’t seen as a desirable place to live. Coronation Street paints my area in a bad light. It makes it seem like nothing good ever happens. We’re portrayed as uneducated, poor, rougher than we actually are. Some areas are rough but I like my town. Bolton played a significant role in the Industrial Revolution. Many of the major players were born and bred in Bolton: Richard Arkwright. Samuel Crompton. John Fletcher. Bleach. Bolton is much more than what most people think. If I lived in California, the weather would be better. There are lots of outside walks. The Wi-Fi could be better but there is nothing finer than walking in the fields and the country. It’s sad when architecturally important buildings like the Odeon and the Palais de Danse are pulled down and not given new leases of life. I like the old buildings so I’m glad we still have some. From My Room My Bolton
The project coincided with an invitation to participate in a Community Development Partnership supported by ACoRP (The Association of Community Rail Partnerships). All of a sudden, ‘my room’ became ‘our room in our Bolton’. Due to the power of local networking and the promise that, “the [station’s] doors would be taken off their hinges”, rhizomatic
grassroots are already taking hold. Railway buildings that had been standing in disuse are in the process of being opened up. They present not just new housing for creative community activity in Bolton, but a new home. When communities open doors to their own cultural capital, the doors are much easier to walk through. As urban writer and activist Jane Jacobs put it, “there is no logic that can be superimposed on the city; people make it, and it is to them, not buildings, that we must fit our plans.” Such projects, the rise of community-powered expression, allow diversity of talent and aptitude to flow through the space they open up. They foster connections. Doors that were closed (moral and conceptual), open up. Conversation and collaboration hold out a hand to loneliness. Learning is made memorable as it is divergent and plaits emotional connections, social relevancy and applied activity around a project narrative.
Rehearsals on Platform 1 of Bolton Station
My Room My Bolton was performed at Bolton Station CDP’s Community Gala, an event at Transport for Greater Manchester’s Bolton Interchange and Bolton Train Station, to raise awareness of the community activity taking place at the station. It is an early model for school creative community practice in Bolton. The show also toured to the Manchester Art Gallery and the Lady Lever Gallery, Port Sunlight.
CREATIVE ARTS DAY AND ALUMNI NETWORKING A Creative Arts Day in School and at Manchester Art Gallery, involving several recent leavers, offered enrichment to boys and celebrated the recent submission of School’s Case Study for Platinum Artsmark status. Former pupil Hadley Stewart, now a successful journalist, started proceedings by speaking to able, gifted and talented pupils in Y10 about how to get ahead in journalism, including writing for men’s health and medical publications and on diversity matters. Alex Greenhalgh, a social entrepreneur who left Bolton School in 2014, offered a similarly interactive session when he addressed the winners of the School’s in-house SPACE entrepreneurial competition about setting up Community Integrated Care (CIC) and his work within homeless communities. The morning concluded with an engaging workshop from screenwriter Jon Brackley, who includes Spooks and Humans among his credits, who told the boys that it is very difficult, if not impossible, to come up with new ideas but the trick is to tell an old story
differently and to try and put a twist on it. In a short exercise, he helped boys develop their own ‘blockbuster’ script and commended them on their use of humour, which he said is an integral part of hard-hitting drama. In the afternoon, boys from across Years 8, 9 and 10 worked with RoughHouse Young Company as they carried out final rehearsals of their play My Room, My Bolton, ahead of its debut performance that evening in a ‘gallery takeover’ event at Manchester Art Gallery. The creative arts were further celebrated in the evening through performances from a string quartet and ukulele ensemble, as well as immersive theatre in the form of wandering characters Prospero (Year 13 student Mohammad Master) and Mephistopheles (Alumnus Alex O’Loughlin), practical print projects and dance. All this preceded a keynote presentation from former pupils Mark Radcliffe (BBC broadcaster) and Tony Wadsworth (former CEO and Chairman of EMI) along with compere Adam Woolley (BBC, Head Boy 2012/13). Wrapping up a day of creative enrichment, Alex Greenhalgh offered up photography from his Stories from the Streets project and former pupils Iman Orths, Adam Ekubia and James Barker all sang at the networking event.
Our busy year was rounded up by recognition at the Arts Council’s North West Cultural Education Awards, shortlisted as finalists in the cultural leadership and innovation category. Staff, current pupils and alumni enjoyed the awards ceremony together.
ARTS AWARDS AND PUPIL LEADERSHIP 2017/18
FULL COLOURS
HALF COLOURS
Critchlow, Adam Gatenby-Brown, Sammy Harland, Jay Holmes, Milo Knights, Stewart Master, Mohammad Morgan, George Stevens, James Warburton, Sam
Alam, Sadeem Aly, Dominic Critchlow, Owen Hardy, Will Hayes, Nathan Khalid, Ali Panchbhaya, Ibrahim Ramwell, Alex Shaw, Oliver Smethurst, Sam Stephenson, Aden Yearsley, Henry
LOWER SCHOOL CREATIVITY AWARD: Finley Littlefair SENIOR PRIZE FOR SPEECH AND DRAMA: Stewart Knights MIDDLE SCHOOL PRIZE FOR SPEECH AND DRAMA: Aden Stephenson THE RALF LITTLE PRIZE, awarded for the first time in 2018: Mohammad Master The Ralf Little Prize is awarded to a Senior pupil to acknowledge an exceptional standalone contribution to the School's extracurricular Arts output. The Prize recognises that pupil interests may be wide and varied and seeks to reward remarkable flashes of verve and creativity.
THE PORT SUNLIGHT TRUST AWARD: Sam Warburton Awarded to a pupil who has dedicated extensive amounts of time to support creative pursuits within the School community and who has worked as a student mentor in other schools. Sam Warburton has edited the School magazine for four years, contributed as a writer to Creatives Now, written numerous theatre reviews for the School newsletter, served as dramaturge for theatre productions and as a stage manager for drama festivals, as well as mentoring boys both in and out of School to better their writing and literary knowledge. Sam also supports his local Scout troop and has organised cultural studies trips across Europe.
Governor George Apsion awards Sam Warburton The Port Sunlight Trust Award for dedication to creative work in the community. Boys gather with Chair of Governors, Michael Griffiths, and governor George Apsion, music producer and great grandson to school founder Lord Leverhulme.
MUSIC NOTES, 2018 It has been my pleasure, once again, to look back over another busy year of concerts and events which have taken place in school and at outside venues. This year, we have particularly enjoyed collaboration with the Art and Drama departments, culminating in two spectacular occasions at Manchester Art Gallery for an Alumni Networking Event, and at Port Sunlight for the Leverhulme Festival. Also this year, for the first time, we invited members of the public, regulars at our lunchtime concert series, to the Young Musician of the Year Final. We were delighted with the excellent attendance and the comments that were made about the high standard of the boys’ musicianship. Many of our ensembles have continued to be involved in high profile events in school and in the wider community, and we were very pleased that the Joint Chamber Choir reached the final of the Barnardo’s National Choral Competition in March, which was held at the Royal Festival Hall in London. These musicians, and many others, have been great ambassadors for the school, and have achieved excellent standards that we can be very proud of. I am also pleased to report that our academic results have been recognised by the ISM (Incorporated Society of Musicians) for the third year running. This year we achieved a Silver Award. At the end of the autumn term we said goodbye to Cathy Hall-Smith who had taught the piano in the department since 2006, and at the end of the summer term we said goodbye to violin teacher, Sophie Simpson, who will be moving to London to pursue her performing and teaching career there. Mrs Hampson ended her classroom teaching career in the Boys’ Division at the end of the academic year in 2017, but I’m happy to say, immediately joined us again in September as a piano and flute teacher. Please enjoy reading about the diverse range of musical activities that have taken place this year in the articles that follow. Mr J C Bleasdale
On Sunday 17 September, Bolton School’s Joint Samba Band performed at Bolton Hospice’s Bubble Rush fundraising event held in Queen’s Park, Bolton. This is the second year that the band has supported this wonderful event. Eight pupils in Years 8-11, joined by Mr Forgrieve and Mr Bleasdale, wandered through the park supporting the runners by
creating a carnival like atmosphere with their pounding rhythms. Mr Forgrieve said ‘’It was wonderful to observe the crowds thoroughly enjoying themselves whilst raising funds for this worthy cause."
At the beginning of the autumn term, we welcomed back our regular visitors, Devonshire Road and Gilnow Primary Schools who take part in our SPACE sessions once a fortnight on a Monday afternoon. This is an ideal opportunity to share our music facilities with local schools. This year Devonshire Road enjoyed learning about samba and Gilnow took lessons on the drum kit.
Open Morning is a always a good opportunity to showcase various ensembles holding open rehearsals in the Music Department, the Great Hall and the Arts Centre. Performances were given by piano soloists, the String Quartet and the Samba Band and the new recording facilities in C22 & C23 were also on show. The first of our two Musical Evenings took place in the Arts Centre in October. The Musical Evenings provide a platform for soloists ranging from year 7 to year 13 and as always, there was a wide range of music, very much appreciated by the audience. The concert was opened and closed by the only ensemble to perform, the Junior Clarinet Group.
Just after half term, we were delighted to present a cheque for £1000 to Trust Music, a local charity which aims to break down barriers standing in the way of musical opportunity to allow all children equal access to music, regardless
of their background or circumstances. The money was raised from the proceeds of last year’s Battle of the Bands competition (2017). Patricia Tremayne, a Trustee of Trust Music, visited Bolton School to receive the cheque on behalf of the charity. It was presented by Mr Bleasdale, the Boys’ Division Director of Music, and the 2017 Battle of the Bands winner, the Parallel Oreos: Adam Critchlow, Jay Harland, Hassaan Hussain and George Morgan. Patricia said: “The Trustees of Trust Music would like to thank Bolton School for their generous donation. Last year the charity was successful in being awarded a catalyst evolve grant from the Arts Council which means that this donation can be match funded and doubled up from the grant’’. “Trust Music believes in the power of music and supports children who cannot afford to pay for lessons and instruments, as well as supporting music projects in deprived areas of the town where there is low access and take up of music. Trust Music provides a fund which allows children on free school meals to attend Bolton Music Service evening bands, choirs and orchestras free of charge. The charity will use the donation received to support this fund.”
Later in November, Boys’ Division musicians – with some help from the Girls’ Division - demonstrated the breadth and depth of their musical talent at this year’s uplifting Autumn Concert held in the School’s Great Hall. Mr Forgrieve’s well-rehearsed Drum Corps and Tuned Percussion Ensemble opened the evening in fine style with rousing renditions of Doldrums Knot and Crazy For You; performances which bookmarked the School’s Joint Senior Concert Band’s masterly playing of West Side Story Selection and Sing, Sing, Sing directed by Miss Sherry. The School’s Brass Group offered up arresting renderings of Bon Jovi’s Livin’ On A Prayer and Noel Gallagher’s Don’t Look Back In Anger before Mrs Hughes-Williams led them through a tight and joyous playing of Tequila. The Ukuleles Ensemble, a perennial favourite, impressed with their interpretations of Hotel California and, putting everyone in the Festive mood, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. Mr Bleasdale expertly guided the Senior Guitar Group through the classics, Girl (Lennon/McCartney) and Eric Clapton’s Layla.
The Joint Chamber Choir, conducted by Mrs Whitmore and Mr Ainscough, brought heavenly voices to the evening with accomplished recitals of The Cloths of Heaven and Keane’s Somewhere Only We Know. The Classical Guitar Quartet offered up exquisite renditions of Canarios and Contradanza, before the Bolton School Jazz Band, directed by Mr Spooner, rocked the concert with Basin Street Blues and Mercy, Mercy, Mercy. The Grand Finale was provided by the whole of Year 8, directed by Miss Sherry and Mrs Whitmore, who sang wonderfully uplifting versions of Riptide, Rhythm of the Night and Madness’s Our House. A delighted audience spilled out into the dark autumnal evening awed by the talents of the musicians and with souls replenished. A week later, the Year 7 Concert was held in the Great Hall with the usual magnificent effort by over 50 soloists followed by the ‘Massed Voices of Year 7’. The finale was led by Miss Sherry and the songs included ‘The Eye of the Tiger’, ‘The Sound of Silence’, ‘I Wanna Hold Your Hand’, ‘Sing’ and ‘Happy’.
Late in November, the 12-strong Joint Jazz Band was the featured ensemble in a lunchtime concert at Park Road. It was pleasing to see two former Park Road pupils, Laurence Britton and Thomas Norrington-Moore, in the line-up, and nice to welcome Mr Spooner, the band’s director, to the Boys’ Junior School. The appreciative audience was treated to some really entertaining music, namely Basin Street Blues, Shake, Rattle and Roll, Mercy, Mercy and Born to be Wild. Mr Spooner talked to the boys about the various instruments featured, in particular the alto saxophone and the trombone. He was impressed by the knowledge of the Park Road boys and they really enjoyed the experience.
At the beginning of December, the annual Year 11 GCSE music students’ concert took place in the Arts Centre. The idea behind the concert is to put the boys under a bit of pressure before taking their practical exam at the beginning of December. It’s also a chance for parents to see their sons perform, possibly for the last time depending on their plans for the future.
Towards the end of the Autumn Term, the Boys' Division Brass Group and the Junior String Quartet entertained the Park Road pupils during one of their assemblies. This was a feel-good concert which certainly set the feet tapping and encouraged everyone to get into the Festive spirit with classics such as Jingle Bell Rock and a jazzy version of Good King Wenceslas. The concert was, enthusiastically directed by Mrs Hughes-Williams.
As the autumn term came to a close, pupils, parents, teachers and governors joined together for a Christmas Festival of joyous singing and poignant readings as the Bishop of Bolton, the Right Reverend Mark Ashcroft, recalled the true meaning of Christmas. He commended the boys for their eloquent readings and reflections which had made clear what the festive season is really all about. It should not be about presents nor should we be diverted by the peripherals of the Christmas story such as the manger, the Magi or the shepherds but we should focus on the coming of Jesus, the King of our Universe, who brings life, love and hope into our world. This year’s end of term celebration saw a range of choirs offer up an arresting selection of festive favourites, ably and frequently assisted by a large and encouraging congregation. Headmaster Philip Britton invited the gathering to worship before Year 7 boys sang the opening verse of Once in Royal David’s City, after which their voices were supported by the Great Hall congregation. There were similarly rousing renditions of O Little Town of Bethlehem, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing! Joy to the World! Mary’s Boy Child, Shine Jesus Shine and a roof-raising finale of O Come, all ye Faithful! The whole school hymns were punctuated by carefully selected biblical readings and reflections from pupils, the Headmaster and the Bishop. The tiered wall of voices which was the Boys’ Division Choir sang On This Day Angels Sing, Angels Tell the Christmas Story and James R Murray’s Away in a Manger. Girls and boys of the Chamber Choir performed harmonious renderings of What Sweeter Music, William Blake’s The Lamb and No Room, No Room. There were also strong performances from the boys’ Lower School Choir and Senior School Choir who sang What a Glorious Night and When Love Was Born, respectively. Guests then enjoyed a festive toast in the Leverhulme Suite and retiring collection was made for charity.
The first spring term performance was given by the Boys’ Division Senior School Brass Group who entertained Park Road pupils in a lunchtime performance as part of the Junior School’s ongoing concert series. The group gave splendid
accounts of Let Me Entertain You, The Eye of the Tiger, Living on a Prayer, Up Town Funk and Tequila. They were directed energetically by Mrs Hughes-Williams. Mr Mallon gave a very impressive rendition of Fnugg, a piece utilising complex and unexpected multi-phonic techniques on the tuba. Demonstrations of the trumpet and trombone, together with impressive solos, were presented by Adam Battersby and Jamie Death. The enthusiastic members of the young audience provided rapturous applause throughout the concert and departed with the sounds of their shouts of Tequila ringing in their ears! At the beginning of February, we held the Year 8 Instrumental Evening in the Great Hall. Many of the soloists had performed the previous year in the Year 7 Concert and it was a pleasure to see how much progress they had made in just twelve months. The solo items were interspersed with some high quality ensemble items.
This year’s Young Musician of the Year competition once again showcased a wealth of talent on another stunning evening of accomplished musicianship. The adjudicator was Jacqueline Tinniswood from Westholme Junior School and she was presented with the unenviable task of choosing a Junior and Senior winner from a collection of winners. In its fourteenth year, the competition had actually begun in mid-January, as hundreds of boys took part in heats in seven instrumental categories. The field was whittled down to 84 semi-finalists – 12 performers, six senior and six junior, in each of the seven classes. Lasting the whole day, the semi-final saw 14 pupils become winners in their instrument class – Jamie Death and Will Hardy were junior and senior winners in the Brass category, William Miles and Alex Gao were winners in the Piano/Organ section, Mark Liu and Victor Chow in Strings, Anuj Mishra and Adam Whitmore in the Vocals category, Daniel Morris and Tom Paterson in Woodwind instruments, Jacob Hughes and James Stevens in the Guitar section and Laurence Britton and Henry Webb in the Percussion category; each of these boys took away a trophy on the night of the final. After considerable deliberation, the Junior Winner (Years 7-9) was announced as pianist William Miles from Year 9 and percussionist Henry Webb from Year 13 was awarded the senior (Years 10-13) prize. Each boy took away a cash prize of £100, a winner’s trophy and had their name engraved on the Young Musician of the Year plaques which are on permanent display in school. There were also trophies and cash prizes for the Junior Young Composer of the Year,
George Seddon and Senior Young Composer, Jean-Paul Asumu. A Most Promising Performer award went to Year 10 pupil Thomas Yates. Director of Music in the Boys’ Division, Mr Bleasdale, said: “Once again, it has been an exceptional evening of music. My sincere thanks go to Jacqueline Tinniswood for judging; and to our accompanists, Ms Lien, Mrs Colgan and Mrs Whitmore; to Mr Forgrieve for his help in organising the competition; and to Mr Deakin for his technical expertise. Finally, thanks go to the boys – and their individual music teachers – for their hard work and for providing us with a wealth of wonderful music over the last two months.”
Towards the end of the spring term, The Joint Chamber Choir travelled down to London to take part in Barnardo’s National Choral Competition Final. The choir progressed to the national final after submitting recordings of two contrasting pieces which were judged against some very strong competition. The songs they submitted were – The Cloths of Heaven (Victor Johnson/Yeats) and an arrangement of Somewhere Only We Know (Keane). The boys and girls from Years 10-13 performed before the judges in the afternoon, and then with everyone else in a special evening concert. Each choir performed one song as well as joining in two massed choir items. Conductors Mrs Cathryn Whitmore and Mr Jonathan Ainscough said: “We were delighted to have made it to the final, and the students are thrilled to perform in such a prestigious venue as the Royal Festival Hall.”
In the final week of the Spring Term, choirs and musicians from five local primary schools - Beaumont Primary School, Eagley Primary School, Blackshaw Primary School, St Maxentius CE Primary School and St Peter’s CE Primary School joined pupils from Bolton School Senior and Junior Schools in delivering a wonderful Spring Concert at Bolton’s Victoria Hall. Instrumentalists from the primary schools joined Bolton School’s Joint Senior Orchestra to perform A Bolton Suite, written by the School Organist, Michael Pain. The piece was written for players of Grade One standard and above and has four movements: A Distant Prospect of Bolton, In Rivington Churchyard, Bradshawgate by Night and A Bolton Fanfare. Pupils from the local primary schools also joined pupils from Hesketh House and Park Road and the Girls’ Division’s Middle School Choir to sing the premiere of The Saga of Fred, a tribute to Fred Dibnah, which was written by Mrs Price, Director or Music in the Girls’ Division. Earlier the concert had showcased a wide range of talented musicianship. The Senior Concert Band had opened the evening with a flawless playing of Peter Graham’s Windows of the World. The Senior Orchestra gave inspired performances of the Overture to The Barber of Seville and a Gershwin medley - Gershwin by George. The Chamber Choir sang beautiful versions of Northern Lights and Sing a Song of Sixpence followed by the Senior Flute Quartet who played Jour D’été A La Montagne. The Senior Guitar Ensemble had everyone’s foot tapping with their Montagne Sainte-Geneviève and Bamboléo offerings and the Girls’ Division Middle School Choir delighted with their rendering of I’ll Be There. The Function Band, a new joint ensemble seven piece, made an impressive debut with their renditions of Love on Top and Vida Del Funk. There were also stunning solo pieces from Abigail Naylor on saxophone, the recent winner of the Girls’ Division Carter Cup and from Henry Webb on drums, the recent winner of the Boys’ Division Young Musician of the Year Award. The spectacular evening ended with the Massed Choir being joined by the whole congregation in a rousing version of Jerusalem and a retiring collection for Barnardo’s.
On Sunday 22nd April, members of Bolton School's Senior Concert Band, accompanied by Miss Sherry, visited the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester to take part in the RNCM's Wind, Brass and Percussion Festival. The band rehearsed and performed alongside students from Derbyshire, Stockport, Oldham and the RNCM itself, as part of a massed wind band performance of Stephen McNeff's 'Ghosts'. The pupils also watched a concert given by the RNCM's Wind Orchestra. As the summer term got underway, we were delighted to welcome back Old Boy, Jordan Allen to judge Battle of the Bands. His band –‘Jordan Allen’ - is currently having great success having played major festivals such as Tramlines, Dot To Dot, Live At Leeds and Isle of White. They have also had airplay on BBC Radio 6 Music and Radio X. The four bands
who reached the final were Duo – Jean-Paul and Roxanne Asumu, The Ivories, Parallel Oreos and the winners, Gelatinous Flamingo Cupcake. The money raised from Battle of the Bands (2018) was given to Ross Smith, a 20 yearold medical student and former pupil of Turton School who was involved in a serious climbing accident, which resulted in his T12 verterbra being fractured and his spinal cord being damaged. The money will go towards providing a wet room at home, together with other personal care and mobility aids that will support him in living as full and independent life as possible.
Jordan Allen – guest judge of Battle of the Bands and The Ivories – Battle of the Bands finalists presenting a cheque to Ross Smith The public lunchtime concert series which began in April and continued into May attracted a good audience from the public who were treated to excellent concerts given by our A level music students from both divisions; students from the Junior RNCM; Violin & Guitar Duo – Jon and Nik Gjylaci; and Shaun Turnbull, Assistant Director of Music at Blackburn Cathedral who gave an organ recital in the Boys’ Division Great Hall.
Jon & Nik Gjylaci On Tuesday 8 May, eight musicians from the Bolton School Foundation performed to a very appreciative audience at Bolton Parish Church as part of the church’s lunchtime concert series. The repertoire performed ranged from a reflective Chopin piano Nocturne to a foot-tapping solo electric guitar item, together with vocal, piano and trombone solos, and a vocal duet. Splendid performances were given by Jean-Paul Asumu, Ellen Bate, Nicholas Clark, Jamie Death, William Miles, Harry Paterson, James Stevens and Thomas Yates.
The second of our two Musical Evenings, both organized by Mr Forgrieve, took place in the Arts Centre on 17th May. Once again we were treated to a very entertaining evening, mainly from soloists but also from the Junior Clarinet Group and the Junior String Quartet.
Performing at the Parish Church, Bolton
Also in May, the Boys’ Division Music Department was awarded the Incorporated Society of Musicians ISM Trust’s Silver Certificate. This means that more than 15% of all the school’s GCSE students achieved an A* to C in GCSE music and it places the School in the top 187 schools across England. Headmaster Philip Britton said: “Just like the Girls’ Division, we are delighted to receive the ISM Silver Certificate. Boys regularly take part in large-scale concerts and musicals and we have over 30 ensembles rehearsing on a weekly basis, many of which are known nationally. Indeed, in these times when the creative arts are being squeezed in many schools, I am proud of all that we offer in this field.
Pupils also enjoy an incredible range of opportunities in Drama and Art as we work towards the Platinum Artsmark.”
On 11th June, Bolton School’s latest Alumni Networking Event took place at Manchester Art Gallery. The evening ‘gallery takeover’ also celebrated the creative arts at Bolton School and the drawing together of the first phase of Artsmark Platinum status for the Boys’ Division and included drama with RoughHouse Theatre, art, dance and music performances from current and former pupils.
Boys’ Division Ukulele Ensemble and Boys’ Division Junior String Quartet The Networking event was followed closely by the Joint Ensembles Concert the next evening. This concert focused on the Junior and Intermediate ensembles and some of the chamber groups. The concert was held in the Arts Centre and gave a platform to our Joint String Orchestra who performed Mozart’s Quartet no. 3 in G major (1st movement), Pirates of the Caribbean, and Happy by Pharrel Williams; the Junior Clarinet Group performed Le Petit Negre by Debussy; The Drum Corps gave us Fancy Four by Markovich; the Ukulele Ensemble played Limehouse Blues by Reinhardt and Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds by the Beatles; the Junior Concert Band brought us right up to date with Black Magic by Little Mix; the Junior String Quartet played Skye Boat Song and Cavalcade; the Jazz Band performed Woodchopper’s Ball and what has become their signature tune – Born to be Wild; the Tuned Percussion Ensemble played the Santana classic Oye Como Va and the finale was provided by the Intermediate Concert Band playing Fame and Family Guy. A perfect concert for a summer’s evening. As we approached the end of the summer term, we began our short series of community music primary school visits. The Joint Intermediate Concert Band visited Brownlow Fold Primary School and SS Osmund and Andrew’s RC Primary School. Their concert included performances of Fame, Rolling in the Deep and Beauty And The Beast. The Brass Group performed at Oxford Road Primary School and Blackshaw Primary School and their concert included performances of Livin’ On A Prayer, Eye Of The Tiger and Don’t Look Back In Anger. In all the concerts, pupils demonstrated their instruments to a fascinated young audience.
Intermediate Concert Band at Brownlow Fold and Brass Group at Oxford Grove
ART NOTES, 2018 THE LEVERHULME FESTIVAL SUNDAY 1ST JULY 2018 A BRIEF HISTORY OF LORD LEVERHULME:
The origins of the Boys' School can be traced back to at least 1516 when the Bolton Grammar School for Boys was recorded as being "a going concern". In 1644 it was endowed by Robert Lever and so began a long and close relationship with the Lever name. The Bolton Girls' Day School was established in 1877 and was one of the earliest public day schools for girls in the country. It was quickly renamed to Bolton High School for Girls and moved to the Park Road site (where the current Junior Boys' School stands) in 1891, where it was opened by the suffragist Mrs Millicent Fawcett with 67 girls. In 1913 Sir William Hesketh Lever, the first Viscount Leverhulme, gave a generous joint endowment to the High School for Girls and the Bolton Grammar School for Boys on condition that the two should be equal partners known as Bolton School (Boys' and Girls' Divisions). On 1 April 1915, the Bolton School Foundation formally came into existence. William Lever's vision included the building of a new school, with one wing for boys and one for girls. War delayed the construction and it did not begin until 1924: it was only fully completed in 1965.
Over the past two years a selection of students from the Boys’ Division have taken part in YAC (Young Artists’ Collective). During this time they have taken part in screen-printing workshops with practising Artists, visited the
different sites of Port Sunlight and taken inspiration from the Lady Lever Art workshops, spoke to residents as well as a visit to the museum and Bridge Cottage (the home of Lord Leverhulme). Historians such as Eric Fairweather and Gavin Hunter have visited the School and offered support as the students have created their own contextually informed briefs, working together to producing a successful public exhibition that illustrated the historic link between our School and Port Sunlight Village.
The four pillars that inform this project and connect the School site to Port Sunlight monument are: Innovation, Community, Heritage and Unity. The boys worked in unity to produce and host their own art workshops, not only for the residential community of Port sunlight, but also for several junior schools in Bolton. YAC have introduced both adults and children to innovative methods of collage and printing, the designs developed from their own drawings and photographs. Boys combined the heritage of Bolton School with the powerful imagery of Port Sunlight and created a community exhibition of music, art and theatre to celebrate Lord Leverhulme’s legacy. Over 50 boys from years 7 to 13 took part in The Leverhulme Festival at Port Sunlight. Activities took place across the site and included drama and music in the Lever Art Gallery, exhibitions and communal art in Bridge Cottage, as well as pupil-led tours, geocaching and treasure hunts running from Port Sunlight Museum meeting point. Student also led print-making in the gallery building itself. The day concluded with an awards ceremony, presided over by Governor George Apsion, with Matthew Hope awarded The Lady Lever Arts Award for Innovative and Creative Extra-Curricular Work, Sam Warburton, The Port Sunlight Trust Award for dedication to creative work in the community and Jack Swires win The Lord Leverhulme Award for Leadership in Extra-Curricular Work.
RECENT LEAVER STEWART PRESENTS AT NATIONAL ART FESTIVAL Stewart Knights, who left Bolton School in the summer and is now an International Business Management student at Lancaster University, delivered an assured and informative presentation on The Eden Project at the prestigious Art Out Loud Festival held at Chatsworth House. It had been a witty and erudite presentation a year earlier in the Whitworth Art Gallery in Manchester which was so well received that he was asked to perform at Chatsworth House. The talks, which ran over the course of a weekend, featured an array of speakers spanning the worlds of art, architecture and design and included Lubaina Himid, the Turner Prize Winner. Stewart’s talk was part of the ‘ARTiculation: Inspired by Buildings’ category and focused on his favourite building, The Eden Project.
Mrs Mags Ryder, Coordinator of Sixth Form Art and Graphics in the Boys’ Division, said: “Stewart’s presentation was outstanding. His commentary on his favourite piece of architecture was witty and informative but most of all captivating. His use of Lynx ‘Africa’ to entice the audience into believing they are really there, amuses the viewer every time. This was a superb chance to show the wider world of art that Bolton School boys can speak at the highest level - under pressure, whilst owning the stage.” ARTiculation was established 12 years ago and was originally conceived as a tribute to the Art Historian Kenneth Clark, in honour of his commitment to the study and promotion of the arts. The ARTiculation Prize has been designed to give young people a forum in which they are able to express their ideas on art.
The Art Department open the central studios every summer for an exhibition that reviews A’ Level and GCSE work.
Alongside extra-curricular clubs, boys can enjoy a variety of activities at school’s Creative Stations. Pupils are welcome to sit down to create over the course of break and lunch times.
Boys also enjoy habitually creating. There are over 90 members of 365 Club. This club promotes keeping an active artistic journal every day of the year. Scrapbooking promotes mindful engagement in the world around us and regular drawing, digital or with traditional mediums, promotes improved skills over time.
Harrison Barker-Smith, Y13
Graffiti-style work from Harrison Barker-Smith (Y13) and sculptural work from Jake Williamson (Y13) based on land forms.
Jake Williamson (Y13)
BERLIN TRIP
Pupils from Art and Design and Design Technology regularly visit international galleries and national architectural landmarks. We visit London frequently and have been to New York recently too. This year we visited Berlin. The trip included visits to the Jewish Museum designed by architect Daniel Liebskind, the Reichtag, a range of galleries and participating in graffiti workshops.
COMING SOON: In November 2018, our inaugural Foundation-wide Open Arts exhibition opens its doors. Pupils, parents, alumni and staff have submitted art work which will be showcased in our Arts Centre.
COMING SOON: In February pupils and staff will present an original piece of theatre to mark the WW1 Centenary.