©Karen Thompson BA Hons, MA January 2010 WCLIP Cumbria Childrens’ Services SIT West

©Karen Thompson BA Hons, MA January 2010 WCLIP Cumbria Childrens’ Services SIT West PRECIS & PROJECT INTRODUCTION This project aims to continue and build upon the work already completed in school on the „Living Literally‟, Djembe Drumming and South African /Cumbrian Textiles and Culture Projects (2006 – 2009), so that cultural work can be further enhanced and improved across the curriculum throughout the school. The work will create opportunities to cater for range of learning styles among pupils, and provide interesting and exciting opportunities for music and dance which will increase the knowledge, skill and ability of not only the Gifted and Talented pupils but all involved in the wider life of the school. Based around coal mining, miners and their families and the associated activities of music, dance, crafts and rituals on both continents, and how these activities (despite the difference in culture) have profound similarities, the project will enable children, staff, parents and the wider community to experience various styles of music, learn and practice djembe drumming, learn about and participate in South African singing and Gumboot dancing, & Cumbrian Brass Band music and clog dancing, dialect and language use, and explore indigenous materials and culture and what this means to the people who use them. In addition, pupils will be able to tell the story of mining on both continents and how the music and dance styles evolved, how certain people in the community were exploited, and how barriers can be created and communities broken through bias and bigotry and how this can be overcome. The project will involve staff from various classes, and practitioners and organisations teaching and specialising in different subject areas: Artists in Residence: Gumboot dancing and South African singing and dancing specialists The Black Umfolosi 5 the local Museums and Archive Services, (The Beacon, Whitehaven Archives, Haig Pit Musuem); Soundwave music practitioners; the Theatre by the Lake, Keswick; the County Library Service. Resources required will include a wide range of books and resources from WCLIP, including Cumbrian literature and books on dialect, South African artefacts and information, books on religious books and information, art and 3D materials and media, use of IT equipment, musical instruments, lyrics to songs and poetry and literature from various writers from both continents. The project will begin with introductions to the work to the classes involved by Karen Thompson, WCLIP Cultural Coordinator with SIT West, and continue with other practitioners and groups throughout the summer term, culminating in a performance of the story of mining in Cumbria and South Africa by the pupils for their peers and local community. The project will be funded through the West Cumbria Learning Innovation Programmes and led by Karen Thompson, Cultural Coordinator, SIT West with assistance from schools‘ head teachers and creative practitioners and artists involved. INSET opportunities will also be created. The work will be evaluated according to the criteria as contained in WCEC Best Practice document; monitoring and evaluation will be based on the aims and objectives and final outcomes of the work. ©Karen Thompson BA Hons, MA January 2010 WCLIP Cumbria Childrens’ Services SIT West Aims and Objectives . To create storytelling and performance opportunities which explore and examine the mining cultures of West Cumbria and South Africa and the associated music & dance, and activities accompanying both. To promote knowledge of other cultures among pupils, staff and parents in school. To provide cultural information on mining and indigenous materials, dance and music which cross- reference with other sections of the curriculum and previous projects completed . To compare the local culture and how this is perceived, with that of other places in the world. To provide a range of activities for all the pupils, with which staff, governors and parents can also become involved. To provide information and source material on African and Cumbrian music, dance, art and culture. To use cultural resources currently built up by WCLIP, and assess how these have supported the project. To have music and dance workshops during a dedicated week so that pupils, staff, governors and parents can see the work being prepared and realised. To provide a basis for future work within the school which can be developed by staff and pupils, WCLIP and the School Improvement Plan . To create INSET opportunities for all the staff who work in the school . Provide information to increase the knowledge and understanding of the pupils as to why we should remember the past and how we can learn from it through visits and involvement by, to and with the MLA service – (Haig Pit, The Beacon etc) . To enhance provision for Gifted and Talented Pupils . To provide opportunities for creative thinking and learning both in and out of school The following processes and methods can be used: . An opportunity for pupils to work with The Black Umfolozi5 from Zimbabwe. This will involve Artists-in-Residence working with staff and pupils to produce ideas for a final performance, and working on this in terms of subject, objective or theme. Planning sessions and project introductions for pupils at a suitable time before the dancing/singing workshops, to introduce concepts to the pupils and staff and form a basis for the work. Pupils can thus research and write about mining, local culture and music/dance in classroom sessions. This will be teacher led and depend on resources and time available, and what the class is doing at the time in terms of subject, topic or theme. Information from local museums, archives, nationally available information on the internet, and from other local agencies can be used in lessons, to introduce children to the local area and language and culture in Cumbria, and then comparisons made with that in South Africa. This can be used to demonstrate cultural similarities and differences and bring in social, economic and religious aspects of the project in to class work . A visit to the Theatre by the Lake to see the Black Umfolozi 5 perform on Saturday 1st May is also being planned. The information collected plus previous work done (drawings, 3D work, written work and research) by the children can be used to put together a set of resources which can be used as a basis to continue this type of project and work in future. ©Karen Thompson BA Hons, MA January 2010 WCLIP Cumbria Childrens’ Services SIT West . Production of a final performance and pieces of work by the pupils which sum up the work done, and provide an inspirational as well as aesthetic display in the school. Outcomes Arts and Culture Education sessions for all involved: performances, theatre visits, museum visits and involvement of pupils and schools‘ local community in experiencing another culture with connections to their own. Focus on/attention drawn to/promotion of local dialects and indigenous customs, music and dance styles and what this means in context of small communities on two continents Cross curricular links made and used Information gathered for future use – performance and dance/music techniques, materials, resources G&T National Standards and Cultural Targets and Outcomes met Local and national museums, services and archives information sourced and stored for future use Cultural promotion – through comparing how music and dance inspires, relaxes and helps people involved in tough physical work Children have opportunity to get to know more about culture generally and work with professional artists. Speaking and listening skills improved Diversity and similarity of culture and language celebrated Requirements and Actions – Karen Thompson with head teachers o Services of Professional artists procured and rates set – Soundwave, Black Umfolozi 5 o Involvement of other schools to share in project confirmed – Monkwray, Valley and St Marys Kells. o Procurement of all necessary items such as books, reference sources etc., especially dialect, poetry (local and national, international), literature and different types of writing and notation o 1 x Staff session to work through requirements and project/subject/topic links o Sessions with pupils to be involved in project work carried out with Karen Thompson(preferably those who have been involved in previous project work to be included where possible if they have not moved to secondary school) o Involvement of Cleator Moor Silver Band confirmed o Visit to Theatre by the Lake costed, booked and confirmed o Visits to school by Haig Pit staff to be arranged o Local museums and archives information sourced o Costing for production of final performance – source other funding o Organisation of rooms and class participation in full day of activities o Parents, governors and staff informed about project in advance o WCLIP/SIT staff (G&T, BIP etc ) informed of events and kept informed of progress. ©Karen Thompson BA Hons, MA January 2010 WCLIP Cumbria Childrens’ Services SIT West Links with Other Projects This work will also build on two other projects carried out by West Cumbria Excellence Cluster 2006 to 2008. These are the djembe drumming programme with Soundwave (YMAZ) and the visit by Karen Thompson to Cape Town, South Africa (supported by the University for Cumbria) in order to forge the links between the two areas to promote cultural links with Southern Africa. Project information as follows: Living Literally Project Extract from Project Evaluation

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