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[email protected] 01438 202806 Hertfordshire Music Service Suzanne Rider Education Development Officer Introduction

Contents

Section 1 Planning your Arts Week

Section 2 Ideas and examples

Section 3 Scheduling the week An Arts Week is an opportunity for whole school creative activity. It can be a richly rewarding and enjoyable highlight in the academic calendar for students and staff. However, Section 4 during the busy school year planning an arts week may seem Materials and like a daunting task. resources

This guide takes you through the steps of planning the week, building your project team, delivering and celebrating your Section 5 achievements. It even helps you think about what comes Planning for next next! year

Why do an Arts Week?

Children of all ages benefit from working outside the curriculum. Creative activity boosts confidence and self esteem. Children of mixed ability are able to succeed and feel able to contribute as they learn there is no right or wrong answer. Creative and cultural education can:

- Develop skills of communication and social interaction. - Encourage cultural tolerance and understanding. - Promote a sense of responsibility. - Promote inclusion and combat exclusion in a world of rapid social and economic change. - Improve problem-solving abilities. Section 1 Planning your Arts Week Planning your Arts Week

Starting with a series of basic questions will help you structure your week.

Time • How long have you got to plan? • When are you going to plan?

Finance • What is your budget? • How will this be allocated?

Context • How will the week support what you are already doing? • What curriculum links can you make? • What do you hope to achieve and what are your short and long term goals for the school as a whole or for How does the week specific classes? measure up to local and • Will Arts Week raise standards in a key area? national priorities? What • Will it lead to engagement for a significant group – pupils other benefits will come out or staff? of an Arts Week especially if • Target classroom trouble spots through creativity e.g. for you are facing OFSTED or boys who disrupt lessons through physical play make the LA judgments? negative positive by working with stage fighting professionals on movement control.

Finding and recruiting your support team

Don’t go it alone: If you can, hold a whole staff meeting to find out what staff are interested in, rally support and identify an arts week team. If this is not possible, talk to staff individually or in small groups.

Be strategic: Try to build a sense of ownership for staff by playing to their strengths and interests.

Remember: To get the caretaker involved and keep support and administrative staff informed and included where possible.

Find out what the children are interested in: Ask classes and teachers to do a group exercise to share interests and find out what they would really love to do/ learn if only they had the opportunity. This will raise aspirations and stimulate discussion and can be put to a whole school vote. Please see examples of child centred projects in section 2.

Involve the Student Council: in your planning identify a group of students who you might want to target to lead the project. Sometimes it can be particularly valuable to include students who are not normally chosen to participate in projects. Existing Resources

• What resources do you already have within school or community? i.e. a scrap store, friendly garden centre, local businesses etc.

• How can you best use staff skills i.e. creative teaching assistants, musical caretakers and storytelling teachers?

• What skills or resources can grandparents and parents contribute?

• How can you use the school grounds and local community buildings?

• What other links can you make with local secondary schools, community groups and organizations e.g. inviting a secondary school choir to perform for you?

Remember…

The week doesn’t need to be hectic. You can programme periods of quiet reflection, meditation, daily storytelling or sharing into the week.

Idea: Think about incorporating cross year group / peer to peer activities e.g. cross year groups could meet to share what they have been doing giving children a chance to lead an activity and teachers the rare opportunity to visit each other’s classrooms and work together.

Every Child Matters: include this agenda in planning and evaluation documents.

Parental involvement: Inform parents of the week and invite them to take part or to the celebration in advance. Remind parents to send children in suitable clothing or even store up recyclable resources such as old newspapers. Section 2 Ideas and examples Ideas and examples

Many of the ideas and examples included in this section are not • Working with creative from arts weeks but they can be very easily used in an arts week professionals or as inspiration for your own project. • Using a creative stimulus Working with creative professionals • Visit your local museum

• Whole school theme and identity

• Change your school environment

• Use the outdoors

• Finding links between activities

• Community cohesion Section 2 • Adult involvement Ideas and examples

You can work with a wide range of creative professionals from animators, filmmakers, wild cooking chefs, established theatre companies, musicians, and dancers to sound installation .

For a list of suitable creative professionals contact: Suzanne Rider, Arts Education Development Officer, Hertfordshire Music Service E: [email protected] T: 01438 202 806

Section 4 also gives information on established companies and where to get advice and support on the perfect person for your project.

Note: Arts Council guidelines recommend a daily fee of £225 and ½ day of £125 for freelance professionals.

Idea: Invite children to create a person specification for their ideal practitioner.

Exercise: What ingredients do you need to make the perfect cake? Run a discussion exercise inviting children to think about the perfect cake as a recipe metaphor for their perfect practitioner. Children can even be invited to interview their practitioner. Using a creative stimulus

Why not try using a story / piece of music/ performance or image as a stimulus for a host of creative activity?

Example: ‘Take One Picture’ is the National Gallery’s countrywide scheme for primary schools. Each year the gallery focuses on one from the collection to inspire cross curricular work in primary classrooms. The challenge is for schools to use the image imaginatively in the classroom, both as a stimulus for artwork, and for work in more unexpected curriculum areas.

In Hertfordshire, Mill Green Museum and Hertford Museum worked with four schools and the County Collection to pilot the National Gallery project ‘Take One Picture’ (and an object).

The museum development officer and the are developing this project; see resources and materials section to see how you can take part.

Resource: The County Art Collection lends original works of art from professional artists and persons and up to six or objects can be loaned free of charge. The Collection works in collaboration with local museums and the Schools Library service.

Idea: Why not hold your own or create an arts linking KS1 and KS2 reading books (borrowed from the schools library service) with works of art? The Collection can provide advice and support as necessary.

www.thegrid.org.uk/learning/elearning/content/ countyart

Remember to consider who is going to take part and any equipment you might need to show off the works in their best light.

Photos: from Picture a Story 2011 Visit your local museum

Many museums are keen to set up projects with schools or host visits at free or low cost.

Example: In Handside History Project, the three Handside Schools (Stanborough, Lakeside and Applecroft) worked with Mill Green Museum, HALS, Hertfordshire Libraries and a local to produce a piece of art based on museum archive material.

Idea: Why not get students to research their family history by talking to family and neighbours to find connections with their local area? Invite students to plot addresses and find connections with each other on a large map supporting SEAL objectives. Invite elderly local residents in to be Resource boxes for classroom activity are interviewed and compare and contrast their also often available. childhoods with those of children today.

Whole school theme and identity

Example: Roebuck Primary School chose the theme of ‘Journeys’ for their arts week. This was interpreted differently by staff and created a wonderful variety of learning opportunities.

Reception and Nursery focused on the local area journeying to the local park where they made a large-scale piece of art using natural items. Year 2 started James Mayhew’s ‘Katie’s Picture Show’ in which Katie goes to the National Gallery and jumps into Van Gogh’s ‘sunflowers’. As a result, the class found out about Holland and created artwork in the style of Van Gogh. Years 1 and 2 visited the seaside in Clacton, which proved an excellent stimulus for work using natural items, music and drama. Change your school environment

Example: At St Margaret’s Clitherow, the school building and grounds were re-imagined as a space ship as staff worked with their classes on Out of This World Week even looking at original blueprints of the school. Classes were paired across age groups so that children designed and gave activities to each other. Throughout the week, the school building was transformed as clues appeared regarding visiting alien races. These included tiny footprints, alien baby clothes and green slime (which had to be tested in science by year 6 along with other suspect materials found on site). Year six also invented the ‘clipsy’, a new measurement the size of a paper clip, which they used to measure their classroom.

Use the outdoors

Example: At Peartree Way Nursery, staff and practitioners worked with tarpaulins and hazel poles to build shelters for early years. Children learnt to co- operate carrying heavy logs by helping each other. Songs and animal puppets helped them to learn about woodland creatures whilst children learnt to use wood saws and drills to make a large wooden sculpture of a leaf assembled by their practitioner.

KS1 and KS2 children might like to make observational of buildings and plant life.

Finding links between activities

When programming your week, it is worth spending time plotting spin off activities either to link with curriculum needs or to ride the wave of student enthusiasm. This can be a good way to disseminate information to the wider school community, embed new skills or knowledge and invite students to reflect on their learning.

Idea: Why not invite everyone to dress up as a character for a day? Think about spin off writing projects such as newspaper reports, and character witness interviews. Community cohesion

When planning your week, it is worth considering moments for shared celebration and reflection or joint activity e.g. peer led learning and activity between year groups. Creative activity can provide opportunities for students, staff and parents to communicate in different and enjoyable ways whilst learning to cooperate, learn from and listen to each other.

Idea: The creation of Journals is an excellent way to facilitate communication between individuals and enhance the sense of the school and wider community. Rather than simply sticking pages into a book, journals are physically passed between individuals giving participants the opportunity to look back at what has already been done.

Example: At Lonsdale School, staff, parents and children worked with artist Jo Howe. Participants were invited to contribute a personal double page spread in response to a specific journal theme and the overarching question, ‘What’s Your Story?’ Journals travelled around and beyond the school giving individuals a chance to see and appreciate each other’s work. Maria White, Head Teacher said, ‘‘When we embarked upon this project, we would never have guessed that, as a school community, we could have produced such significant, beautiful and inspiring work.’ Adding that the collected works together, are ‘a legacy of all that our school stands for.’

Adult involvement

Adults performing children’s own work is extremely powerful as children see their work miraculously transformed. This can be particularly relevant for children who have low self-esteem or who find writing difficult.

Example: Hurst Drive School recently undertook a Years 3 & 4 project exploring the use of humour and movement to learn supported by a storyteller/ theatre practitioner. This proved particularly successful for a target group of boys who found that no idea was too ridiculous to be included in their final performance. Children loved watching their writing and scripts transformed in performance by the class teacher and practitioner. Section 3 Scheduling the week Scheduling the week

This section takes you through a checklist of questions. By answering them you will plan your arts week and consider every eventuality.

Time and timetabling

• How long is week? • How long should activities be – all day every day? • Who is helping? Have contact details been circulated to relevant parties? Make sure everyone has a copy of your project time line and allocation of tasks before and during the week • Who’s involved in activities – when, where, and what are you going to do? • What are you going to learn? • Have you booked rooms and communicated information to all relevant parties? • Are there any major building works, trips or visits that would clash with activities?

Preparation Section 3 • Have you contracted practitioners or booked external providers and informed the bursar as Scheduling the week necessary? • Have you ordered materials and resources well in advance to ensure delivery on time? Have these been delivered and stored and who is responsible for their distribution? • Have health and safety reports been carried out as necessary? • Have you informed all caretakers, support and administrative staff including cleaners? Section 4 Materials and resources Materials and resources

Books and Literacy Index Hertfordshire Schools Library Service helps you develop your • Books and literacy library, can provide you with up-to-date library materials for learning and leisure as well as advice, support, book promotion, • Dance books for loan and purchase. Access is available through membership starting at £295 per year or pay as you use. • Drama Info: http://www.herts-sls.org.uk or T: 01707 281 630 • Film E: [email protected] • Museums and archives The Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre is a family friendly museum containing biographical galleries and an interactive story • Music centre. Workshops and activities related to the work of Roald Dahl are available. The cost is £120 per 90-minute session for up to 35 • pupils. • Venues Info: 81-83 High Street, Great Missenden Buckinghamshire,

Dance

Dance Digital is the regional dance agency. They can provide workshops on dance from many different including: Chinese Rhythm and Fan dance, Bollywood and Bangra, African dance and Drumming.

Info Carrie Washington, Hertfordshire Programme Manager for DanceDigital, 2 Bond Street, Chelmsford CM1 1GH http://www.dancedigital.org.uk Tel: 01245 346036

Actone ArtsBase is a charity providing inclusive dance and performance training for disabled and non-disabled people and explore various aspects of dance, drama, music and moving.

Workshops for children and young people range from 1.5 hours to weeklong residencies and even regular ongoing workshops. Workshops can be shaped to meet school needs. Sessions are generally designed to 15-25 participants aged between 2 and 92! Prices start at £175 for a 1.5 hour workshop.

Info: 25 Layton Street, Welwyn Garden City, Herts AL7 4FE http://www.artsbase.org.uk T: 01707 338373 E: [email protected] Drama

Actability Inclusive Theatre Company provides inclusive, Useful weblinks integrated performing arts workshops, which are differentiated to empower and engage disabled and non-disabled children and http://www.artsonthemove. young people. Workshops bring together mainstream and special co.uk schools. Children create a performance work of their own which Free resources, information, can then be performed at a local theatre. advice and support for Workshops last for three days and are led by a team of disabled drama and theatre. Click on and non-disabled performer / facilitators skilled in a particular the education link and find performing arts field. Focus subjects for workshops include sections for Primary – early animation, dance, music, drama, poetry and puppetry. Cost: £600 years/foundation stage, KS1 divided between two schools. and KS2 as well as information on how to Info: http://www.actabilityinclusive.org develop a drama policy in Paul Bamlett t: 07984 112 289 your school. E: [email protected] http://www.dramaresource. Gordon Craig Theatre is a commercial theatre offering backstage com tours at £5 per student, pantomime workshop days at £100 Drama games, strategies including performance and an hour long workshop using arts and resources. and craft activities for infant, junior and primary schools. Theatre workshops can also be tailor made to meet school needs.

Info: Stevenage Arts and Leisure Centre, Lytton Way, Stevenage, Herts SG1 1LZ Box office: 01438 363 200 Or contact the Education Team: 01438 242 761

Herts Inclusive Theatre (HIT) has a programme of events on offer to infant and primary schools. Can offer assembly speakers, free taster workshops, full 1 ½ workshop on character development and story telling using music movement, shapes and props to create different characters. HIT can offer teambuilding workshops, after school drama club for up to 20 children or a weeklong workshop residency. Prices available on request.

Info: Caroline England, Artistic Director T: 07857 986 364 or E: [email protected] Drama

Trestle Taking Part offers an inspiring programme of workshops in Useful weblinks physical and visual theatre, delivered by professional practitioners. Prepare your students to become versatile, focused, physical performers, with workshops for all ages and abilities. Trestle offers mask and physical theatre workshops, residencies, and teacher training either at Trestle Arts Base or at your school. Mask resource packs are available at varying levels with clear instructions and exercises.

Info: http://www.trestle.org.uk T: 01727 850 0950 E: [email protected] Russet Drive, St Albans, Herts, AL4 0JQ

Watford Palace Theatre offers tailor made workshops lasting an hour to a whole day either working with the students or as an inset for teachers. Workshops are available throughout the year. Working in partnerships with Hertfordshire County Council the theatre is able to offer subsidized workshops to HCC funded schools. The theatre regularly participates in Primary school Arts Weeks and can even help you plan the delivery of your week. Teacher insets and work with students can include Creative Curriculum, pantomime workshops and Production DIY.

Info: http://www.watfordtheatre.co.uk Museums and archives

Hertfordshire Archives offers hands on activities for class visits at Useful weblinks the centre as well as visits to schools and classroom resources are available. The archives hold a wealth of material which can Hertfordshire museums be used in a variety of ways for arts week projects i.e. Workshops http://www.hertsmuseums. can include a focus on family history, learning how to campaign org.uk and a range of history topics. A two hour visit to the archives will include work on original documents and a visit to storage areas to Museums resource boxes discover how the centre look after a large collection of documents. for schools Cost per visit to the archives or session in school is £50 per class. http://www.e2bn.org Info: Daphne Knott, Learning and Access Officer T: 01992 555 117 E: [email protected] http://www.hertsdirect.org/hals and http://www.hertsmemories.org.uk

Hertfordshire Museums Learning -small local museums are an excellent resource and are able to work closely with schools, often tailoring resources to meet particular needs. In the first instance schools are advised to contact their local museum and details can be found under the museum’s index at http://www. hertsmuseums.org.uk/ A downloadable version of the Enjoy! Booklet on Hertfordshire museums is available on the site together with information on resource boxes and teachers packs.

Info: http://www.hertsmuseums.org.uk/

Resource boxes for schools are available from museums for all key stages and contain some of the following: guidance, activity sheets and ideas for how to use the box in a variety of ways linked to the curriculum, original or replica artefacts, posters, photographs, costumes, newspaper. Please contact the museum directly to book. To find images from museums collections and resource boxes go to www.e2bn.org

Info: http://www.e2bn.org Music

Benslow Music Trust offers residential and day courses for Useful weblinks amateur musicians of whatever age or ability. Benslow ILS, an assoociated charity, lends musical instruments to promising players under 25 who are unable to obtain an instrument suitable to help them progress.

Info: Benslow Lane, Hitchin, Herts, SG4 9RB http://www.benslow.org

The Hertfordshire Music Service is recognized as one of the largest services in the country. It provides instrumental tuition for the majority of schools as well as a comprehensive range of performing opportunities in seven major music centres in the county, ranging from pre-school music to the County Youth Orchestra. A major development within the music service is to integrate the activities with other creative arts.

Info: http://www.thegrid.org.uk/learning/hertsmusic

Youth Music is a UK charity using music to transform the lives of disadvantaged children and young people. Youth Music provide children and young people with access to a wide range of music- making projects and activities. Youth Music support and fund music projects, develop music programmes and provide music- making opportunities for young people across the country.

Info: http://www.youthmusic.org.uk Visual Arts

Access Art and delivers creative projects in the community Useful weblinks and in schools, working with learners of all ages. The access art website is a resources bank aimed at pupils, students, teachers, http://www.intra.thegrid.org. gallery educators and artists. uk/hertstart Hertfordshire Grid for Info: http://www.accessart.org.uk Learning Schools Intranet Home Page Artists in Schools provide artist run workshops in schools to meet National Curriculum requirements and attainment targets. http://www.thegrid.org.uk/ Workshop categories include , pottery/ceramics, learning/elearning/content/ textiles, sculpture, , music and theatre. countyart Hertfordshire Grid for Info: http://www.artistsinschools.co.uk Learning Schools Intranet Home Page, county art. Chadwell Way Sculpture Trail is a unique five-mile sculpture trail in East Herts. 31 small bronze made by a class of 7 http://www.haringkids.com and 8 year old children from St John the Baptist Primary School inspired by the work of Keith in Great Amwell are located close to rivers and waterways. Each Haring this website has an sculpture has been designed in response to the natural habitat or interactive sketchbook and local history, and is informed by the materials and methods used activity ideas for teachers by Henry Moore. Points of interest include the New River, Emma’s and parents. Well, Scott’s Grotto, historic churches, Ware Prior, Hertford Castle, Folly Island, Ware Museum and Hertford Museum. http://www.engage.org Engage promote access to, Info: Maxine King, Project Management enjoyment and Chadwell Way Sculpture Trail T: 01920 413 048 understanding of the visual E:[email protected] arts through gallery Further information and downloadable map can be found by education. searching for the sculpture trail on http://www.eastherts.gov.uk http://www.engage.org/dow or from http://www.waretourism.org.uk nloads/Toolkit_English_web. pdf This toolkit provides information about how to use art works and galleries as starting point for teaching and learning with children aged 3-7: Visual Arts

The County Art Collection is free and has approximately 1500 Useful weblinks original works of art. This resource enables schools to loan pieces of art, sculptures and even a range of animals from the taxidermy http://www.teachingexpertis collection to enhance learning in the classroom. e.com/articles/creating- Schools can select up to six items for a loan period of twelve anoutdoor-learningenviron- school weeks. Project packs with activities for Key stage 2 are ment-in-the-earlyyears-2968 available and The Collection aims to support the requirements of the national curriculum. Creating an outdoor learning Based with the Schools Library Service at New Barnfield, Hatfield, environment for the early the Collection catalogue and loan service can be located on the years. From 2007, this Hertfordshire Grid for Learning Schools Intranet Home Page excellent article is by Jan (accessed on your school computers only): White. She provides a range http://www.intra.thegrid.org.uk/hertstart of practical ideas for creat- ing Info: Diane Knapman T: 01707 281 424 enabling outdoor E: [email protected] environments that support young children’s health, The Henry Moore Foundation welcome free visits from school wellbeing, development and groups. Groups are guided around the gardens, studios, galleries learning. and workshops. Appointments can be made for one class (30 pupils) and their adult helpers on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday mornings (1 adult helper to accompany 5 primary school pupils, age 3 upwards). Tours are primarily outside and last 1 ½ hours. Visitors must be dressed appropriately. The visitor season runs from 30 March – 30 August and bookings can be made from 4 January onwards. Two publications to assist you with pre and or post visit projects are available at £8 each.

Info http://www.henry-moore.org/pg Perry Green, Herts, SG10 6EE T: 01279 844 104 Visual Arts

Public Art - Hertfordshire has about 300 pieces of sited Useful weblinks across the county. For further information on public art works see the Enjoy! Public Art in Hertfordshire brochure available.

Info: http://www.enjoyhertfordshire.com

UH Galleries in College Lane, Hatfield organize tailored workshop sessions for local schools at around £350 / day for a group of 20- 30 children.

Info: http://www.go.hert.ac.uk/uhgalleries T: 01707 284 290

Stevenage Leisure Centre features two galleries, one in the Gordon Craig Theatre foyer and the other in the nearby Boxfield Gallery.

Info: http://www.stevenage-leisure.co.uk or T: 01438 242 637

Venues / Other

Hatfield House – Hatfield Hertfordshire AL9 5NQ http://www.hatfield-house.co.uk 01707 287010

St Alban’s Cathedral – Sumpter Yard, Holywell Hill St Albans, AL1 1BY 01727 860 780 http://www.stalbanscathedral.org

Wot-Ever Scrap Store- gives you unlimited access to the materials and stock available. Anyone can apply to become a member for a small one off yearly payment (£75 for schools).

Info: http://www.wot-ever-scrapstore.wholelifewholeworld.com Section 5 Planning for next year Planning for next year

Having set clear aims and objectives at the start of the project it is worth spending time reflecting on your achievements.

• What have you enjoyed? • What were the highlights for staff, parents and students? • What surprised you? • How do you think the students benefited from the week and are there any clear gains in attainment? • What worked and what didn’t work? • If you were to do the week again, which parts of the process would you repeat, discard or change

A rule of thumb to developing a working project for your school At the start of the project you ran a consultation with staff and students. Were any ideas or interests discarded? Can they be used in the future?

Do you have any remaining questions and can any of the working methods you have used inform your teaching during the rest of the year?

Which elements of the creative process do you feel are the most important and what are they? Some suggestions on the elements of the creative process from Creative Partnerships, include:

Reflection, value, rich stimuli such as learning new skills, music, visual, objects, materials, fascination, creating the right environment, developing skills and overcoming challenges, risk-taking, making unexpected connections, collaboration, new ideas, divergent thinking, identification of problems, refinement of ideas.

Remember: There are no right or wrong answers in creativity, just the quality of original and personal response. Trusting a process and allowing individual vision, whilst challenging, can be liberating, surprising, exciting and empowering for all involved.

What will you do next? Researched and written by Alex McIntyre - www.alex-mcintyre.co.uk Additional by Jo Howe - www.howeunique.co.uk

Hertfordshire Music Service. Hertfordshire County Council. Six Hills Way, Stevenage. SG1 2FQ.