CULTURE
EDUCATION HUB
Primary and Secondary Schools
JULY 16’
THE DREAM COMES TRUE!
NEON The Charged Line
WORDPOOL EVENTS & SERVICES NEWSLETTER
HELLO AGAIN...
// A new Cultural Educational Partnership has been set up across Blackpool with support from Curious Minds, the North West’s Bridge Organisation, to deliver the Blackpool Culture Hub programme. Managed by Blackpool Council’s Cultural Services, other founders include the Grand Theatre, the Grundy, Blackpool’s Music Service and education partners. Its role is to strengthen and increase high quality arts provision for children and young people across Blackpool inside and outside of school. The Culture Hub will share best practice and support schools who want to apply for Artsmark and deliver Arts Award. It delivers training and professional development opportunities and the Arts Award Network. Blackpool Council has invested in the Creative Learning Manager role at the Grand to deliver the work of the Culture Hub. In this first newsletter we offer a flavour of some of the projects and share opportunities for you to get involved in. So far approximately 3000 children and young people have been involved in our work. In November we set up the Blackpool Youth Arts Programme to work with partners and artists to develop work with young people out of school.
THE EDITOR
// CONTACTS If you are interested in more information about the work of the Culture Hub please contact Celine Wyatt, Creative Learning Manager celinew@blackpoolgrand.co.uk For information on working with young people outside school contact Pasha Hudson, Youth Arts Programmer pashah@blackpoolgrand.co.uk Contact the Council’s Arts Service for information on their range of arts programmes for children and young people at artsdevelopment@blackpool.co.uk
// My BLACKPOOL: Children celebrate their town // Schools Place Based Projects Over the past year nine schools, Blackpool Sixth Form College and Educational Diversity have been funded to work with artists to respond to a sense of place. To use Blackpool’s cultural resources and local history to create more opportunities for a creative curriculum that has a focus around place. This has resulted in a range of artists working in schools and innovative creative responses to Blackpool being produced by children and young people. Schools involved: St John Vianney, Stanley, Our Lady of the Assumption, Anchorsholme, Moor Park, Marton, Park school, Baines Endowed school, Hawes Side, Boundary. Artists involved: Chaz Jacobs, Nick Greenall, Dave Healy, Sam Simpson, Karen Casper, Colin Shaw, Priscilla Jones, Melanie Whitehead, Vanessa Card. Five schools are applying for Artsmark status and approx. 800 children have achieved an Arts Award.
// More at bspculturehub.wordpress.com
// ARTSMARK We support schools who want to apply for Artsmark status in partnership with Curious Minds. Achieving the award unlocks access to teaching resources, networks and artists.
Register artsmark.org.uk/registration
Do a self assessment tool to audit your schools arts and cultural offer in and out of school. Members of SLT attend development day at Curious Minds (contact imogen.woolrich@curiousminds.org.uk). Write a Statement of Commitment and submit it. School has a Critical Friend who helps to write the Case Study. After the Case study is submitted an Artsmark Award level is given contact celinew@blackpoolgrand.co.uk
// The DREAM came true for Blackpool Schools The Grand Theatre and Blackpool schools have been part of the RSC’s Learning and Performance Network since 2013. This programme has involved five teachers being qualified with a PGCertificate in Creative Approaches to Teaching Shakespeare and over 100 teachers taking part in training with the RSC. With nine schools led by Montgomery and the Grand over 1000 children have been involved in Shakespeare performance in Stanley Park and a festival at The Grand where they performed their version of; A Midsummer Nights Dream directed by an Associate from the RSC, James Farrell. On 5th July Blackpool young people, representing nine schools, have been selected to perform on the RSC’s stage at Stratford as part of a national celebration and symposium. From Autumn 2016 Our Lady of the Assumption will be the Associate School working with The Grand and the RSC to further develop the programme with schools. If you want to find out more: joc@blackpoolgrand.co.uk // More at Blackpoolgrand.co.uk
// Over 1000 gain ARTS AWARD
// TURNER PRIZE WINNER IN BPL
Blackpool children and young people have been successful in achieving Arts Award in the following areas: Shakespeare Challenge, Schools Alive, African Music, Zoonation Dance, Chameleon Dance, Brave New World, and Showzam!.
This summer, not only are they currently exhibiting Turner Prize winner, Mark Leckey’s new sculpture, ‘FEELINTHECAT’, but they also have a newly appointed Education Officer, Taneesha Ahmed, who will be developing cross curricular projects for schools at the gallery. The current exhibition, which explores Mark Leckey’s fascination with ‘Felix the Cat’, includes multiple themes including technology, television, pop culture, British music and dance and animation.
The Arts Award inspires young people to grow their arts and leadership talents. It can be achieved at five levels and offers four
accredited qualifications. There are Arts Award Advisers in schools, at The Grand, at The Grundy and in the Council’s arts team as well as across voluntary organisations • •
Discover Introductory level Explore, Bronze, Silver, Gold
There are a range of logbooks that help young people through the Arts Award and examples can be accessed on bspculturehub.wordpress.com For information pashah@blackpoolgrand.co.uk
// More at artsaward.org.uk
IN autumn NEON: The Charged Line Will explore Blackpool’s longstanding history of showing neon works and is part of Lightpool at Blackpool Illuminatiions. This exhibition will include artworks from the Illuminatinos archives and and from famous artists who have used neon in their artwork. There will be curriculum focussed links and activities. At the Grundy, opportunities for schools include, • Tours of the exhibitions and gallery • Education Packs • Artist workshops • Arts Award and Artsmark support For more information on opportunities Taneesha.Ahmed@blackpool.gov.uk
// More at grundyartgallery.com
// BLACKPOOL MUSEUM PROJECT Blackpool Council has set out to create a brand new museum for Blackpool which will tell the international Blackpool Story. The Museum will be based in the in the Pavilion Theatre within the Winter Gardens, and is due to open in 2019. As part of the design process the museum team will hold consultation sessions with pupils/teachers to obtain feedback on plans. Museum consultation sessions with schools are tailored to suit learners of all ages/ abilities, and run as one-off activities (class or group), or embedded into larger schemes of work. Contact john. simpson-wedge@blackpool.gov.uk
// More at blackpoolmuseum.com
// BLACKPOOL MUSIC SERVICE Offers a variety of opportunities for children and young people to have fun with music, as well as free opportunities for adults (16 –80). It has been found that children and babies benefit from music making in many ways, including development of reading/language skills and improved communication between parent and child. Blackpool Music Service provides weekly sessions at 40 children’s centres across Blackpool. If you are interested in attending a Tiddly Om Pom Pom sessions, contact your local children’s centre for more information. Sessions are generally held weekly during term time. Contact andy.white@blackpool.gov.uk
// More at blackpoolmusicservice.co.uk
//Don’t miss... Local and Family History Did you know you can access Blackpool historical records and archive collections? The local and family history library at Blackpool Central Library provides services to the public including researching your family tree. Or why not explore the historic photograph and the extensive Cyril Critchlow collections, the collection includes Blackpool entertainment memorabilia, programmes/flyers and photographic relating to Laurence Wright’s ‘On With The Show’. The collections can be used as part of a school project, with the opportunity to arrange a talk/ introduction by senior librarian and local historian tony.sharkey@blackpool.gov.uk
// WORDPOOL 2016 A Big Boost for the 10th Anniversary Wordpool Festival is a Blackpool celebration of literature, run by Blackpool Council’s Arts and Library services. There are three mini festivals throughout the year in addition to Wordpool - Big Friendly Family Day on 2 July (Stanley Park, 1–4pm. Register from 12.30pm at the main gates or Visitor Centre to receive a free map). Timehop Young Adult Timehop Festival - 7 July More than 200 Blackpool secondary school pupils will work with a range of authors (In addition to Arts Award). The event has a talk by author Sally Gardner, a short dance performance and a film showcase by local young people. For more email clancy.mason@blackpool.gov.uk
// GRAND What’s On Blackpool’s Grand says SUMMER’S SORTED - We have a lot on offer for families school groups and young people during summer and Programme • The Gruffalo’s Child 13 & 14 July • Peppa Pig’s Surprise 16 & 17 July • Dinosaur Zoo 6 & 7 August 11am, 2pm • Aliens Love Underpants 2 & 3 September • Stickman 26 & 27 September • A Tale of Two Cities 11 to 15 October • Steve Backshall’s Wild World 13 November Box Office 01253 290190
// Guided Heritage Tours The Blackpool Community Heritage programme based at Volunteer Centre Blackpool, Wyre and Fylde offer tours of local heritage venues for school groups, forming part of the history and geography curriculum. Tours of the Winter Gardens, Lightworks and Stanley Park are available. A special school offer of 10% off prices (£3.60 under 16s, £7.20 adults). Heritage Open Days - Thurs 8 to Sun 11 September A nationwide celebration of England’s heritage, architecture and culture. During a four day festival, heritage sites open to the public free of charge. Local venues include The Grand Theatre, Blackpool Pleasure Beach, Central Library and Grundy Art Gallery. Heritage Open Day is run by the Community Heritage programme at Volunteer Centre Blackpool, Wyre and Fylde. Contact beth.garlington@blackpoolvolunteers.org.uk