Departure Times - Summer 2012

Dorset’s Arts Education Partnership

Spring 2012

D e p ART u re T IM E S

Production at the Youth Centre,Srebrenica, co directed by Rosie Russell, DepARTure, and Nela Antonovic, Teater Mimart.

Photo credit: Robert Golden

Joining together to empower tomorrow’s leaders

Close your eyes and picture what your ideal community will be like to live in in 25 years’ time. What would it look like, sound like? What would the ideal citizens be like? Then ask yourself... how can we take the next steps towards realising this dream? Well, we can do something or nothing. That community will be run by the children of today. The more we empower them to be inspired to be great citizens the more likely the vision will crystallise into reality. Bridport in West Dorset is aiming to take those steps with the town becoming a focus for developing young people artistically, emotionally, academically and spiritually through a series of exciting initiatives allowing them to explore their heritage and their local and wider global community. The Hutliving, Bridport FM, Simply Human, Neuroscience and Youth Council projects in Bridport all featured in this issue show DepARTure working closely with Bridport and Dorset’s educators, artists, scientists and historians together, pulling in experts from the UK and young people from a Bosnian community (top photograph) still recovering from serious trauma, all working together to inspire tomorrow’s citizens. David Powell

Simply Human

Youth Leadership and Citizenship through Culture

DepARTure supported

project

Simply Human is the final and sixth, in the EU “Wake Up” Cultural Partnership Project which encompasses a shared belief that the work and the growing partnership of performing arts and cultural activist organisations in Europe and the Balkan region, is a positive example for the development of society through culture. It aims to empower young people involved to apply the skills and knowledge they gain through exchange and learning with each other and their respective communities. This activity will relate specifically to the UNICEF Rights Respecting work in Dorset and the development of a Youth Council promoting participation in local democracy. From the 25th April – 3rd May 2012, 40 young people from Bridport and Bosnia will be working together. There are opportunities for Primary, Secondary and Special schools, for artists, teachers and young people, to be involved.

The project supports community engagement, wellbeing and learning across the curriculum including the citizenship, arts, politics and humanities. Included in the week’s programme is a Conference day inspired by Neuroscience and the Brain (see page 5) a presentation and performance sharing day for young people from Bridport, Belgrade and Bosnia youth theatre, music, art and media groups, Youth Leadership Skills and Rights events, young Bosnians working with artists delivering music and arts workshops in primary schools and talking about life in Bosnia.

For information contact Rosie Russell at DepARTure on 01305 224525 or email r.russell@dorsetcc.gov.uk.

Producer and Organiser: Opera Circus, in partnership with DCC, DepARTure, Youth Centre, Bridport, Bridport Town Council, BAC, Lyric Theatre, Electric Palace. With EU Partners, The Institute of Music for Human and Social Development as part of the University of Edinburgh, Musicians without Borders International (Netherlands), Teater Mimart, Belgrade, Serbia with associate partners Musicians without Borders, BiH and the Youth Council, Srebrenica, BiH.

If you would like to receive a copy of the Times in a different format please contact DepARTure on 01305 224525 DepARTure has a commitment to work as an equal opportunities organisation

Design: Hannah Baker

E d it or ’s

note

emAil: h.l.baker@dorsetcc.gov.uk or r.russell@dorsetcc.gov.uk

This issue is a celebration of partnership working and highlights a whole set of projects and plans that join together artist’s, organisations and the arts to enable outcomes for children. It often feels difficult to escape the squeeze on everything through the current economic climate, but we’ve been seeing more and more examples of people’s resourcefulness in working together and finding new ways of sourcing funding and support to enable work to happen.

Don’t hesitate to get in touch to talk about your own plans or to find partners for your projects.

Hannah Baker and Rosie Russell -DepARTure Managers, 01305 224525 DepARTure supported

project

Hutliving Here & There

Hutliving Here and There – a partnership project whose key learning themes are underpinning a growing understanding of rights and responsibilities linked to the UNICEF Rights Respecting Schools programme and London 2012 Olympic ideals.

Bridport Arts Centre from May 2012. Led by artist Nancy Clemance and Educationalist David Powell, the project includes workshops for Heads and Teachers, supporting Year 6 -7 transition through Bridport Youth Centre’s Summentor project and development of teachers’ resource pack.

Bridport FM

Bridport FM is a year-long community radio project run by Bridport Arts Centre in partnership with Windrose Rural Media Trust. The project is aimed primarily at 15 to 25 year olds and the over 60’s and offers free training in all aspects of making radio programmes. Programmes have been created on subjects as diverse as local football, allotments, local bands and eggs! Courses in Songwriting and Writing Radio for Drama have proved tremendously popular and resulted in the creation of exciting new work.

The project culminates in May with a temporary radio station that will broadcast from Bridport Arts Centre for one week.

Provisional dates for this are May 21 - 26. The radio station will broadcast all the programmes made in the community over the year alongside much live content. Local volunteers will act as presenters, interviewers, station assistants and technicians.

Kate Wilson – Learning Coordinator, Bridport Arts Centre

Partner participating schools Burton Bradstock, Charmouth and Symondsbury Primary Schools, Mountjoy Special, The Sir John Colfox and Woodroffe Secondary Schools are exploring and developing a creative approach to learning and teaching supported by Bridport Town Council, Dorset County Council and Kingston Maurward College.

A traditional Victorian Dorset shepherd’s hut is being renovated by craftsmen, witnessed by pupils at the project schools. The hut will then tour the schools stimulating cross-curricular learning focused on the life and times of Dorset shepherds. Project school teachers are designing the teaching/learning resource packs. Each school is identifying ‘Young Curators’ who will be trained in curating skills by Nancy Clemance. They will curate an exhibition of the Hutliving project that will be located at

Project funded by the Esmee Fairburn Foundation, The Ernest Cook Trust, Community Win, Radio Solent Community Chest, West Dorset District Council and The Cooperative Membership Community Fund.

Photo credit: Graham Shackleton

pAge 2

Artist Profile

This issue Jonny Hoskins discusses his work Photo credit: Alfie Payne

Artform: Movement and Physical Theatre How did you get started?

I was always putting on shows as a little kid and my secondary school had a really good theatre department.

I studied Drama at Manchester Uni then trained at Ecole Jacques Lecoq in Paris, which gave me a specialism: mime, movement and physical theatre. This was interesting for schools and I started earning money running workshops, which fitted in nicely around my acting career.

This led to more teaching and directing in schools and Youth Theatres. I later took charge of the Applied Movement Syllabus at the Oxford School of Drama, for a period of 5 years.

Environmental sustainability features high on my list of pet subjects. I have quite a dark sense of humour, and like to do things which are a bit edgy, but I also love the naïve simplicity of theatre clowns.

Photo credit: Katy Star

What advice would you give to young people wanting to pursue a career in the arts?

As far as possible, be yourself and do what you love.

You’ll get paid for what you are good at.

What was the most successful project you have been involved with?

There have been a few and it’s hard to compare one to another. My first big directing project was Gilgamesh, and it went down really well in schools. It combined physical theatre and chorus work with method acting and verse speaking, and it was fantastic to watch – even if I say so myself.

Photo credit: Maise Hill

What’s your favourite part of working with schools and young people?

Young people are awesome! I love their energy, and they bring so much fresh, unspoilt creativity. And because they are new to the work, they are more responsive.

Sometimes I am bowled over by their imagination, daring and originality. Compared to adults, they are open and honest, and have more fun. It can be very gratifying to see someone’s confidence grow and to get enthusiastic feedback from parents.

How do you come up with new ideas for projects?

I like to do things which move me or make me laugh.

Any tips for other artists about working with schools?

It’s great, but it can be tough. A school is a very particular working environment. Sometimes it can be very daunting, and you have to deal with all your own personal feelings about the places you visit, the smells, the noise, the atmosphere. It can be a place of high stress, and you have to be confident (at least on the outside). Smiling might help.

Be prepared and be clear about what you are doing there, and be ready to take charge, but also to listen. Have a plan, and a contingency plan. Above all, my advice would be to work alongside someone who is more experienced, perhaps as a mentor, until you are confident about going pAge 3 solo.

Neu r o l e a r n i n g d e v e lopments in Dorset Brain growth and development is dependent on genetic pre-programming and environmental influences. Young brains are changed by teachers and teaching. How much do those with this awesome responsibility understand how the brain develops and how we can take advantage of this growing knowledge to design great learning and teaching?

More important than this, how much attention is being paid by the Secretary of State for Education to this emerging understanding as he oversees the development of the new National Curriculum?

We know far more about the moon and solar system, about oceans and complex planetary ecosystems than we do about how human brains work, grow and develop. However, in the last ten years neuroscientists have begun to create clear pathways of understanding of this extraordinary organ. As they penetrate further, they are revealing important information for educators. They are securing strong evidence of how brains can be encouraged and stimulated to develop more healthily if environmental conditions, including teaching and intervention, are taking account of this emerging understanding.

We cannot separate out the exploration of the brain from that of the wider human vascular system, for the two are intimately interlinked. Healthy young bodies literally lead to healthy minds. Engagement with creative arts stimulates body and brain, with positive consequences for wider learning and self-esteem.

It is heartening to see a recent coalition government document, the National Music Plan acknowledge this, focusing on the positive impact of music learning on the wider education of our children: “Music can make a powerful contribution to the education and development of children... It is a unique form of communication that can change the way pupils feel, think and act... Research has shown a direct link between music and improved reading ability in children.”

The plan goes on to state, “studies have demonstrated the positive impact music can have on personal and social development, including increased self reliance, confidence, self-esteem, sense of achievement and ability to relate to others.” These statements will resonate with anyone working with young people in any other creative arts medium.

Young people working creatively during the Monkton Park development project (article opposite) Many young people, labelled as failing in the school system have had their self-esteem and consequently their wider schooling boosted through gaining a real sense of achievement in the arts. There is also a growing understanding of the important link between our engagement with creative arts and brain development.

I was commissioned last September by Dorset County Council’s Learning and School Improvement team to develop a conference allowing those working with young people an opportunity to deepen their understanding of neuroscience and learning. I approached two primary schools, a secondary and a special school and provided them with some funding to develop expertise in how the brain works. A lead teacher in each school has undertaken their own research and they will be working with young people in their schools to explore the link between great learning and brain pAge 4

development. They will be reporting on their findings at the conference, and on the implications for teaching and learning at their schools.

I also developed a project with the Universities of Bristol and Amsterdam to discover Dorset teachers understanding of neuroscience and learning. The aim is to see where areas of understanding need to be strengthened. An on-line survey is to be circulated to all schools and the results and implications shared at the conference. The keynote speakers and workshop leaders, Professor Nigel Osborne and Dr Paul Howard Jones have international reputations for their work in the field of neuroscience and learning.

Nigel Osborne is the Reid Professor of Music at University of Edinburgh. His works have been featured in most major international festivals and performed by many leading orchestras and ensembles around the world, ranging from the Moscow to the Berlin Symphony Orchestras, and from the Philharmonia of London to the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

Nigel is also carrying out neuroscience research with a particular interest in music and emotion. He is famous for his music therapy work. He frequently travels around the world and uses music therapy to help children traumatized by war and conflict.

Paul’s particular area of interest is applying our understanding of cognition and neuroscience to enhance child and adult learning. His research explores the benefits offered to education by creativity and emerging technologies, aided by a critical consideration of underlying cognitive processes. The day will be a stimulating and provoking mix of speeches, workshops and performances. Delegates will leave with a clearer understanding of how the brain works and how learning can be enhanced by this knowledge.

David Powell is a freelance education consultant. David was Dorset’s Principal Primary Inspector 2006-2011

Conference: Neuroscientific Insights into Growing Young Minds takes place on April 30th 2012 at Bridport’s Electric Palace. See: www.dorsetcpd.co.uk

Creative achievements at Monkton Park DepARTure coordinated an Arts Award Grafitti Project at Monkton Park. Pete Sheridan, DepARTure artist, worked with young people from Dorchester Learning Centre and young offenders from the local community for 8 weeks creating and producing exciting pieces of art work for the re-development at Monkton Park.

Two young people produced portfolios for Bronze Arts Award, a process that motivated and focused their attentions.

Staff comments included: “All the art work is brilliant, fantastic!”

“It brightens and modernises the offices.”

“Great to have some input from young people for an environment worked in

by Children’s Services.”

“Striking, imaginative, FUNKY!”

DepARTure coordinated p roject “Creates different conversations on a daily basis.”

Rachel Phelps, youth worker said ‘I loved every minute of the project, working with young people who were creative and inspiring with their ideas. They worked hard succeeding in producing some really original and unique pieces of art work, which can now be displayed for employees and visitors at Monkton Park to view.’

pAge 5

Dorset success in Arts Award DepARTure Junior level pilot coordinated Opportunities and progression for young people from 7 – 25 years

project

Arts Award, a Trinity Guildhall qualification, is launching two new junior awards ‘Discover’ and ‘Explore’ - from April 2012.

Last summer DepARTure was chosen as a south west centre for one of Arts Award Discover and Arts Award Explore pilots. We invited Beechcroft St Paul’s Primary School, Weymouth to take part in the junior pilot; 30 Year 4 children worked with Tess Bide, a puppetry artist from Stuff and Nonsense Theatre Company, to make puppets, create stories, learn scripts and gain confidence to act out their devised puppet shows. Children also learnt about jobs in the creative industries sector.

Pupil comments: ‘I liked writing the script with my best friend, I learnt about mechanism, primary and secondary movements, I felt confident after we performed’

Stuff & Nonsense, based at The Lyric Theatre in Bridport, offers a downloadable resource pack for teachers. www.aloadofstuffandnonsense.co.uk Discover and Explore can be achieved through your creative arts weeks, if your centre is working on a London 2012 Cultural Olympiad project (e.g. Moving Tides, Landance 2012) or embedded as part of an after school club and enables your setting to make closer links with your local arts centre and artists.

Discover - KS2 Age 7 - 9 Explore - KS2 Age 7 - 11 Bronze Level 1 - KS3 equivalent to GCSE Grade D-G and Music/Drama Award Grade 1 Silver - Level 2 - KS3 equivalent to GCSE Grade A*-C and Music/Drama Award Grade 2-3, short course points Gold - Level 3 - KS4 equivalent to AS level and Music/ Drama Award Grade 4-5, 40 UCAS points

Through Arts Award young people aged 7-25 can explore any of the art forms including performing arts, visual arts, literature, media and multimedia. To run Arts Award you need to train as an Arts Award adviser; regular training available in south west; see www.artsaward.org.uk Don’t forget Arts Award supports your Artsmark application. DepARTure can support you with advice and guidance on all elements of Arts Award.

Goobledegook Theatre partner with Christchurch Infants

Gobbledegook Theatre is based in Dorset making work for and with young people and their families in unusual ways and places. This year we’ve embarked on an exciting collaboration with Christchurch Infants School. So far we’ve been generating ‘WOW’ moments. Professor GaGa Plasma has worked with Foundation classes on learning about the amazing wonders of the solar system. With Year 2 we’ve been working on story structure and heroes, starting with some in-role work with Florence Nightengale and ending with ASTORIA, a comic book superhero who enlists the children’s help.

Work we have planned for the future sees more collaborations, particularly with other artists and focusing on science and ecology because we want to use theatre to get kids involved in finding out how amazing the universe is.

We’ve particularly loved seeing how creative Christchurch Infants school already is and how open and responsive they are to our ideas. It feels like a very symbiotic relationship! http://gobbledegooktheatre.blogspot.com

pAge 6

Continuing Professional Development and Sources of Resources Conference dates for your diary

Going for Learning Gold: The role of the TA in Creative Learning - Thursday 22nd March at Winfrith Technology Centre.

Neuroscientific Insights into Growing Young Minds - Monday 30th April at Bridport Electric Palace.

Visual Arts Conference - now rescheduled for Autumn term 2012 - look out for flyers in schools next term.

Visit www.dorsetcpd.co.uk for full details and bookings.

Dorset Apple Regional Training Centre DepARTure Creative Twilights Your local experts for Apple in Education

Would you like the opportunity to explore the latest technology in a hands-on, supportive environment?

Would your projects benefit from a digital learning partner to support the creative use of ICT in your school?

Staff at an Apple Regional Training Centre show how Mac and mobile technology including the iPad and iPod touch can enhance a school’s curriculum. Through exploration of the creative and productivity applications that come preinstalled with every Mac, and the latest handheld devices, colleagues quickly discover the ways in which ICT can be used creatively to deliver personalised learning. Dorset’s very own Apple RTC, based at Charmouth Primary School, can provide all these things with free and low cost CPD.

Take One Picture for 2012 Creative training for teachers

This years picture is Still Life with Drinking-Horn, about 1653 by Willem Kalf (1619–1693) The National Gallery, London As in previous years, local professional artist Jane Burden will be attending the National Gallery course and will then transfer her knowledge and skills in a series of creative workshops for teachers here in Dorset.

Using the focus painting as a springboard, the twilight will inspire teachers to look at ways of using paintings in the classroom to promote cross-curricular learning and suggest ‘ways in’ to paintings to develop pupils’ confidence and skill in responding to images. Last year teachers were inspired with comments received such as, “ A fab session – very inspiring and exciting – lots of ideas brewing!”

Wednesday 29th February at St Osmund’s Middle School or Monday 12th March at Archbishop Wake Primary School Both sessions 4.30pm - 6pm.

Dorset LA schools £30, others £36

Making Creative Displays

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We host regular hands on workshops where education professionals can learn how to use ICT to enhance creativity in the classroom. Recent training opportunities have included Apple in an Hour, Mobile Technologies, I Can Animate and iMovie digital video.

We also provide school specific training, and in school support and consultancy at both a strategic and classroom level. Dorset RTC has been a digital learning partner recently for a Creative Partnerships project in the Lyme Regis cluster and Mountjoy School, and a Hutliving project with Bridport schools.

For more details visit www.dorsetrtc.co.uk or email Iain Cowper rtc@charmouth.dorset.sch.uk

A twilight designed for Teaching Assistants to give confidence, spark a wealth of new ideas and approaches to making amazing classroom displays. Led by Sandy Wilderspin, an educator years of experience working in museums, galleries, festivals and schools.

Choose from March 1st at Damers First School or March 5th at Archbishop Wake Primary School. Both 4pm - 5.30pm.

Dorset LA schools £30, others £36

Treehouse Theatre correction

In the Artist Portfolio, DepARTure and wave arts education’s joint publication, the History Play-in-a-Day project from Treehouse Theatre says £970 for a day, when in fact it should be £385. Apologies for the mis-print on this exciting project. pAge 7

The Sea of Stories

Children at Rushcombe First School have been taking part in an exciting Learning Adventure called the ‘Sea of Stories’. The Learning Adventure began with a special WOW day, in which the children took part in a drama workshop with Tony Horitz and Michele O’Brien (drama facilitators from State of Play). The children were introduced to characters from the land of Kahani – a fantasy world, which is adapted from Salman Rushdie’s children’s book ‘Haroun and the Sea of Stories’. Children were set a very important quest - helping to find the missing stories of Kahani, along with helping to find a disappearing princess!

The children were thoroughly engaged by the stimulus and were full of ideas about what they could do to help solve the mystery.

The project will end with a final performance by Tony and Michelle, in which the children will share their learning (in a range of forms), helping to restore the story waters of Kahani back to full working order.

“The project is proving to be a great success and the investment in Tony’s expertise has been well worth it ...”

said Deputy Headteacher Gavin White, “It has provided a wealth of cross curricular learning experiences and the theme has engaged both boys and girls in the wonderful world of making stories!”

Tony Horitz writes: “This project has been hugely enriched by the full commitment of staff at the school and the time allocated to it by the Head and Deputy Head. By beginning with a CPD twilight for teachers, we were able to explore key themes of Salman Rushdie’s marvellous illustrated children’s book Haroun and The Sea of Stories, as well as and the theory and practice of Dorothy Heathcote’s Mantle of the Expert strategy. Teachers have reported that, because of this rich creative process, children have done some of their best writing, inspired by characters and plot”.

The Sadness of King George

DepARTure supported

project

Filmmakers from Beechcroft St Paul’s Primary School in Weymouth are celebrating after their film The Sadness of King George was picked for a screening at Britain’s oldest film festival. The three minute animation, made with a team of artists from Dorchester ARTS was chosen from hundreds of entries by the Co-operative Film Festival at the National Media Museum in Bradford. www.firstlightonline.co.uk/movies/the-sadness-of-king-george The Olympic-related drama features King George 3rd in a race against time and a race through time to save the 2012 Sailing events. Assistant head Craig Holloway whose class made the film said: “I love this film and the children loved making it even more. It means so much to all of them and will be one of those life changing moments in a child’s life.”

One of the Year Five production team added: “It was an awesome experience to be involved - I am really grateful to have had the chance.”

The film was lottery funded through the National Film Council’s First Light initiative.

pAge 8