PRESS RELEASE: June 2015 Curious Minds, Octagon Theatre Bolton, Bolton Museum, Ladywood Primary School and Rumworth School present: SLiCE Project to Promote Access to Culture in Additional Needs Education North West Bridge organisation Curious Minds are working with a number of Bolton organisations to encourage better involvement and access to cultural education for children with special needs, through interactive historic events at Smithills Hall from Friday 3 July. Held at Smithills Hall, one of the oldest and best preserved manor houses in North West England, the project will take place from Friday 3 – Friday 10 July, beginning with an action-packed introductory event which will include activities and games, food and drink, and live-action performances by actors depicting the various people who might have lived and worked in the Hall since its construction in the early 1300s. The project; A House Through Time , will explore the past through drama workshops led by the Octagon Theatre’s Associate Director Lisa O’Neill-Rogan , the present through visual art workshops led by Suzanne Harlow , and dance workshops led by dancers Darren Pritchard and Paul Adams from Z Arts Manchester , who will be using Microsoft Kinect sensors to create interactive dance performances based on students’ thoughts regarding their future. Throughout the week, non- verbal stimuli such as piped smells of baking bread, carbolic soap and coal fires, sign language, and symbols will be used to explore additional methods of accessibility. As part of the Curious Minds SLiCE (Specialist Leaders in Cultural Education) fellowship, the organisations involved will be researching how educational access to cultural sites and activities can be improved for students and young people with additional needs, including sensory and physical disabilities. Working with Year Six pupils from a range of local schools, including Ladywood Primary School, to inspire enthusiasm and involvement in culture, students will be partnered with Year Seven pupils from Rumworth Secondary School, who are to be trained in mentoring and leadership skills by education development company Stone Soup . In addition to developing cultural curiosity and access, this training will in turn empower older students to support their young partners throughout the project and in their transition to secondary education. The culmination of the immersive project will be a private production, devised by those students involved, which will be performed for family and friends on Friday 10 July at Smithills Hall. The show will highlight the skills learned in each workshop whilst demonstrating reasonable methods to improve accessibility to cultural sites. Speaking of the importance of the project, SLiCE facilitator and Ladywood Primary School Head of Performing Arts Yvonne Heywood said: “access to cultural education for children with additional needs continues to be of huge concern. It isn’t simply a case of providing physical access to cultural sites, but also providing a supportive environment for those individuals who find new environments, loud noises, or crowds particularly difficult, and we aim to combat some of those challenges throughout this project, using it as an example other cultural sites can perhaps follow. By empowering older children with additional needs to mentor primary school students, we hope to not only encourage greater involvement in cultural education, but also greater educational support in general. The leadership element of the project really allows the young people to hold themselves to a higher standard and positively anticipate a transition which can otherwise be incredibly stressful period.” Bolton Council’s Cabinet Member for Culture, Young People and Sport, Cllr John Byrne , went on to say: “Smithills Hall is a fascinating museum and we are very pleased to be able to facilitate such a worthwhile and innovative project, and make the museum more accessible to a wider audience. The transition from primary to secondary school can be daunting and this interactive week of activities will hopefully assist pupils from both schools. It’s a great opportunity for them to work alongside professionals from the Octagon and then perform what they’ve learned to an audience. As well as taking part in fun dance and drama sessions, the young people will also get the chance to receive an official qualification – the Arts Award Discover, which is accredited to Trinity College, London. Participants will be given an Arts Award log to complete, and will be presented with a certificate to mark their commitment and skills achieved.” To find out more about the project, please email the Octagon at [email protected]. ENDS Notes to Editors For more information, interview requests and images please contact Harriet Mould on 01204 556505 or [email protected]. Sue Hodgkiss, CBE DL University of Bolton Principal Patron Principal Sponsor VAT Registration No: 457 9833 90 | The Octagon Theatre Trust is a Limited Company Registered in England No. 8822226| Registered Charity No. 248833 Administration: 01204 529407 | Box Office: 01204 520661 | Book online at www.octagonbolton.co.uk The Octagon Theatre, Howell Croft South, Bolton. BL1 1SB .