Over the summer we found out the brilliant news that we had been successful in securing a 3-year grant from the Paul Hamlyn Foundation to support ‘The Wider World Project’ in four local schools: Shrubland Street Community Primary School and Sydenham Primary School in Leamington Spa and the Brittain Lane and Deansway Campuses of Evergreen School in Warwick for children and young people with Special Educational Needs.
Since receiving this news, we’ve welcomed two new Creative Learning Dance Artists, who will be delivering the project, into the team. Hannah and Harrison have been busy getting ready for the creative movement sessions to start in schools: planning the project with the teachers in each school to tailor activities to the needs of their students and delivering an exciting launch event for teachers from the schools taking part.
The event was an opportunity for the schools to come together at our creation space in Leamington Town Hall. It was a great opportunity to meet and network with one another, and they were also able to enjoy watching our company dancers rehearsing for our new show Hidden. They then took part in a teacher CPD session with Hannah and Harrison, which introduced them to our approach to teaching and gave them tips and ideas that they can use to deliver dance workshops themselves. You can see the fun they had in the photos below!
The project will support the delivery of the PSHE curriculum citizenship module. Children will be supported to explore elements of citizenship identified by each school, focusing on promoting inclusivity, addressing inequalities and empowering children to discover their voice and agency as creative, active citizens.
Creative workshops will be delivered across 3 terms each year, celebrating difference through creative movement, helping to challenge discrimination and prejudice and to empower active citizenship. Importantly, the project will be delivered within school time to remove financial and other barriers to access.
We’re pleased to report that the weekly sessions are now in full swing in our partner schools and that we are already seeing the positive impact that an arts based learning approach can have on children’s development.
The aim is for all four schools to come together annually for a participant performance in a local venue. This showcase will also be an opportunity for them to be inspired by a performance by Motionhouse’s professional dancers.
The Wider World Project also includes more elements of Continued Professional Development for teachers, like the CPD session we’ve already delivered, so that they can develop their confidence and creative thinking when delivering dance in schools.
Hannah Lockyer, Head of Creative Learning at Motionhouse said: “The award means a lot and will make a huge difference to us and to our partner schools, empowering the children taking part by supporting their social and educational development.”
Louise Richards, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Motionhouse said: “We feel very privileged to benefit from a grant that will allow us to deepen our skills and practice, giving us further understanding of the impact that this type of longer-term engagement can have. It is something that we have never had the opportunity to undertake within a school environment before.”
The project builds on the successful model we have developed for our Moving Stories Project, which we have been delivering since 2017 in local schools. Moving Stories sees us go into schools over 10-12 weeks, delivering workshops around a cross-curricular theme, building towards a performance for peers and families and a professional performance from Motionhouse dancers in the school.
On behalf of everyone taking part in the project, huge thanks to the Paul Hamlyn Foundation for their support.
