Barrington Court ProjectArts project exploring the seasonal life in the kitchen garden see feature page 4-5

Training Features Opportunities Events Listings Workshops

Summer 2009

Somerset’s Arts Education Partnership

Placing the Arts at the heart of education Promoting creativity across the curriculum

Welcome to the summer 2009, edition of the Spaeda magazine. I hope you will be inspired by some of the projects featured inside!Schools should have all now received details of the Spaeda 2009/2010 membership scheme which offers many benefits to schools. The scheme will provide you with a better service and make it easier for you to participate in arts activities. It includes tailored support, free networking forums for visual, drama, dance and music, discounts on training, consultancy, project support and projects from the Spaeda arts project portfolio. Please contact the office should you need further details on accessing our services for the next academic year.

As always we would also love to hear from any schools that want to share their experiences of working with artists and arts organisations in the magazine or on our website, so please keep us posted!

Have a great term!

Sarah Jobling Education Projects Co-ordinator

Welcome

Designed by The Paper Crane www.thepapercrane.co.uk

Our Mission StatementEnhancing the life of every child and young person in Somerset through the arts and creativity

What we do > Create more opportunities for children and young people to get involved in high quality arts activities

> Provide a web of information and support for the arts and education sectors

> Advocate for best practice in arts education, placing the arts and creativity central to children and young people’s development.

Contact detailsSomerset’s Arts Education Partnership Great Bow Wharf, Bow Street, Langport, Somerset TA10 9PN

Office hours: Monday - Thursday 9.30 - 4.30

Tel: 0845 358 0368 or 01458 254262 Fax: 01458 254278

General enquiries info@spaeda.org.uk

Artistic Director Alice Crane alice@spaeda.org.uk

Education Projects Co-ordinator Sarah Jobling sarah@spaeda.org.uk

Development and Communications Flora Alwen flora@spaeda.org.uk

Website: www.spaeda.org.uk

To contribute or advertiseIf you would like to submit articles or advertise in the next issue please email sarah@spaeda.org.uk

Autumn edition out September 2009

Copy deadline 3rd July 2009

A small charge may be made for promotional articles

Grateful thanks to all our contributors

Edited by Sarah Jobling

This Magazine is available in Large Print and other alternative formats, please contact our office on 0845 3580368

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Spaedaarts education

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How to tell a Story Storytelling workshop for Teachers and TA’s of all ages and abilities Led by David HeathfieldTuesday 19th May 4-7.30pm £65 or £50 to EDS partner schools. Includes light buffet Great Bow Wharf, Langport

David is an international storyteller, actor, singer, musician, teacher, teacher trainer and author of the teacher resource book Spontaneous Speaking, DELTA 2005. He has extensive experience of working with a wide cross- section of people. He has recently worked in a children’s hospice and with adults with profound learning disabilities, teenagers with mild learning difficulties and young offenders.

The session will demonstrate ideas on how to make a story your own and how you prepare to tell it. You will try out some simple techniques which help to enliven unscripted storytelling.

Participants will be asked to bring a 3-5-minute folk story which they can imagine themselves telling a particular group of students. The story should be in your head - not on paper. During the workshop you will tell it to a couple of other teachers.

Please contact Christine at the Spaeda office to book your place: 01458 254262 or email info@spaeda.org.uk

Further training opportunities will be posted on the website www.spaeda.org.uk

Training & Development

Why apply for Artsmark?Artsmark can:

> Demonstrate the school’s commitment to the arts and wider development of pupils.

> Raise the profile of the school in the community.

> Increase pride and self esteem amongst pupils.

> Help towards achieving government initiatives for arts and cultural provision.

Spaeda can help by:

> Advice and support on applying for Artsmark

> Providing an Artsmark surgery for your school

> Recommending quality assured artists and professional arts organisations to work in your setting.

> Artsmark surgeries are free for EDS partner schools

For more information or to book a surgery contact Sarah Jobling at Spaeda

Tel: 01458 254262 Email: sarah@spaeda.org.uk

Autumn term 2009Integrating visual arts into the curriculum: Twilight date tbc Cost: £50, members: £40

Visual arts Inspire training 1 day date tbc Cost: £100, members: £80

Arts subject forums: Open to all subject leaders, teachers and support staff. Forum Cost; £40 per person, Spaeda members: FREE

Visual arts forum 19th October: 4.30 – 6pm

Dance forum 20th October: 4.30 – 6pm

Drama forum 21st October: 4.30 – 6pm

Music forum 22nd October: 4.30 – 6pm

Arts Award adviser trainingThe Arts Award is a national qualification which supports young people to develop as artists and arts leaders. Young people aged 11 – 25 of all interests and abilities can gain awards through any artform. Spaeda are delivery partners for Somerset and provide adviser training and support. The next adviser training day will be 9th July.

If your setting has a minimum of eight staff wishing to train as advisers in-house training can be arranged.

For further info please go to ww.artsaward.org.uk or contact the Spaeda office.

Having difficulty getting going with the Arts Award?

Arts Award refresher for advisersWednesday 20th May, 1pm – 5pm The Architecture Centre, Narrow Quay, Bristol BS1 4QA Cost: £85

For advisers who trained a while ago or feel they need a bit more detail about how assessment or moderation works.

Getting going with the Arts Award for advisersWednesday 10th June, 10am – 5pm Walnut Tree Hotel, N Petherton, Nr Bridgewater, Somerset (approx 1 mile from J24 of M5) Cost: £130

For advisers who are embarking on delivering or planning to deliver an Arts Award project.

For more info or to book a place, please do so via the Arts Award website: www.artsaward.org.uk

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Kate Lynch – Artist At four different times of year the children made sketches of the garden and gardeners at Barrington Court. They also made self-portraits of each other working on their own vegetable plot there. Then, back at school the children worked on the collaborative paintings. For the spring panel the children painted Peter, the gardener, raking and digging. For the summer the same walled garden can be seen bursting with foliage with the scarecrow made by the children sitting on a seat in the foreground. In Autumn, as part of their ‘Plot to Plate’ project, the children harvest their own vegetables, cook and eat them. The resulting painting is a Breughel-like feast. The children also collected apples and watched the milling and pressing for juice and cider. The fourth panel has an apple theme with the Barrington Winter Wassail, where trees are stirred into action with music, theatre and singing.

I think these collaborative painting projects are great for the children. There’s a lot of colour mixing teaching and paintbrush control which is a useful foundation. Going out and sketching is really important and working on a design for the paintings together. The children are part of the whole process, research, design and execution, and they create a wonderful lasting work of art.

The project involved Years 4 and 5 children, and, because it straddled two academic years, three year groups participated. It was a great project, linking the work they do on their garden at Barrington with art.

Matthew Applegate – National Trust Barrington Court

“The National Trust is very keen to continue and increase its level of involvement with local communities. This project has been a prime example of engaging young people from Ilton and Barrington with gardening, art and creativity. The Trust worked very closely with local artist Kate Lynch whose skills as both artist and teacher enthused the children even more to produce excellent work portraying what they saw in the gardens. Alison Tulloch represented the school in the partnership and all parties agreed it was a tremendously enjoyable and worthwhile project which taught the children an awful lot.”

Alison Tulloch – Teacher at St Mary and St Peters First School

“The children had a great opportunity to concentrate for quite long periods on a ‘proper’ piece of art, which they are aware will be displayed at the Court for visitors to see. They are rightly proud of what they have achieved on all the panels and we hope to be involved in whatever ‘unveiling’ may be organised at the property. They also all have good, hard-back sketch books to remind them of their time spent on the project, to fill during the rest of their time here and then keep. Hopefully they will remember some of the tips Kate gave them about looking closely at what they see around them and drawing anything of interest. I think it has raised their awareness and enjoyment of art generally, which I hope will continue, for those who show a flair for it, but also those who thought they couldn’t draw/ paint!”

Barrington Gardens ProjectVisual Arts

Last year the National Trust at Barrington Court commissioned artist Kate Lynch to work with children from the local primary school to produce a series of paintings based around the seasonal life in the kitchen garden at Barrington Court.

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Directed by award-winning AccessArt, Sketchbooks in Schools is an exciting project which brings together a wide range of stakeholders, teachers and practitioners to explore how we can embed the creative use of sketchbooks in primary schools, in a sustained and whole school approach. Sketchbooks can increase creative and critical thinking skills, and help build pupils ownership of their own learning and motivation - outcomes which can impact across the whole school and beyond.

The Sketchbooks in Schools Digital Conversation Space has been launched and content will be created throughout 2009. The space is a unique mixture of research, dialogue, practice and evidence. Fundamentally the Sketchbooks project is a practical project - schools will have access to teaching and learning modules which

will enable then to use sketchbooks in their school, - but the site puts that teaching in a context and enables a sharing of experience via online brainstorms, forums, galleries and feedback. The co-creation model which openly invites all practitioners to contribute and get involved, while at the same time being moderated and directed by AccessArt, will create a groundbreaking resource which connects pupils and teachers fi rmly to the adult creative world.

The model will be tested by working alongside fi ve partner primary schools in England.

Visit the site at: www.accessart.org.uk/sketchbook

The project has been funded by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation’s New Approaches to Learning Strand.

Pupil comments

“When I fi rst did the painting I felt really important. It was really good fun”.“Doing the project was cool because everybody got to have a part in it and the sketching helped my artwork improve, so, THANK YOU Kate!”“I really enjoyed the sketching and going down to the Court and looking at the plants”.

With the support of SPAEDA’s placement scheme Kate also provided mentoring to artist Andrea Clark throughout the project. The project has now given Andrea the confi dence to initiate her own project at a local primary school this term.

The school has invited Actiontrack to work on songs about the panels with the children and there is to be a parade and unveiling of the panels on May 7th.

It is intended that the panels will be permanently displayed at Barrington Court.

If you are interested in fi nding an artist for a project in your setting please contact Sarah at the Spaeda offi ce.

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Supporting Creativity for teachers & pupils www.accessart.org.uk/sketchbook

With the support of SPAEDA’s placement scheme Kate also provided mentoring to artist Andrea Clark throughout

Barrington Gardens Project

Students at Burnham Infant school have recently taken part in interCre8, an exciting multilingual performance project. The final piece entitled ‘The Duha’ (The Rainbow) incorporated 5 different languages, highlighting the importance of community cohesion and celebrating diversity within Somerset. InterCre8 workshops ran for an hour a week during term time, each session generating ideas for the devised performance. EAL students were paired up with English speaking buddies and the students worked with Selina as a creative team, exploring the English language, and other languages through drama whilst gaining respect for each other and confidence in themselves. The sessions were highly interactive and focussed on physical learning, gradually developing the use of spoken language dependent

on the abilities of the students involved. Language was explored using various drama based tools including: physical theatre, movement, dance and gesture, improvised drama, voice, diction and pronunciation, music and song, characterisation and scripted drama.

Sue Horne, Headteacher, commented; “Working with drama techniques has helped social development for all children in the group. The children are much more confident, especially some of the English speaking children who normally come over as very shy. This confidence is extending into class situations”

Natasha Ratcliffe, SEN/EAL Coordinator stated: “There was an increase in knowledge and understanding for the whole school, not just the children participating in the project. The social interaction increased between performers who were from 3 different classes and 2 different year groups and there was evidence of increased confidence and self belief in several pupils after the workshop sessions and the performance”.

“This project has supported the EAL provision within the school, raising its profile both amongst pupils, staff, parents and the community (local press invited to take photos etc). I believe by fostering self belief and increasing empathy, we will encourage and enhance pupils social and academic progress”

“The project surpassed expectations. The artist’s relationship with young people and staff was excellent and pitched at the correct level throughout”

EAL participant

“I liked making the dog and car with our bodies. My mum really enjoyed the show”EAL participant

“I liked making the house and saying words in different languages. I like all of the drama times”SEN participant

“I liked my balloon. I liked learning the different languages and saying my words during the performance”SEN participant

“I sang ‘The Duha’ song to my granny, she really liked it, so did my little brother”interCre8 projects offer a cre8tive learning experience based around the aims & values of the National Curriculum framework, relevant to PSHE, Citizenship and English at KS1, KS2, KS3 & KS4. interGR8 projects are currently available for Somerset schools please contact the Spaeda office for more details: 01458 254262 or email sarah@spaeda.org.uk.

Drama

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InterCre8 Creatively Learning English Through Drama

Jane Leakey of Fat Cat Theatre Company has just returned from the trip of a lifetime working in Cameroon in West Africa. Whilst there she cared for gorillas, chimpanzees and monkeys which had been rescued from the illegal bushmeat and pet trades.

Jane also worked with the local children using her primate puppets: “They really enjoyed learning about some of the animals and meeting my puppets as well as creating their own chimpanzee and mandrill puppets”

Jane is keen to share her experiences with local schools and has a range of workshops available and can also give talks accompanied by her wonderful photographs.

“I have developed a fantastic drama workshop about the Baka people who live in the Cameroon forests. This workshop gives children the opportunity to experience a day in the life of these amazing people. I also run a Masai Day drama & craft workshop”.

JANE offers a selection of African themed workshops as well as a puppet show about different monkeys from around the world.

If you would like more information please contact the Spaeda office.

Jane has also published a book about her Cameroon adventure: Cameroon by Jane Leakey published by www.blurb.com and is currently planning an exhibition of her stunning wildlife photographs

African Adventure

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Selina Keedwell, director of interCre8 (cre8tively learning through drama), is a South West based drama artist, performer and facilitator, specialising in teaching physical theatre and drama to students of all ages and abilities.

Selina firmly believes that learning through drama can have huge benefits for all; helping us gain confidence, develop positive self awareness, and an ability to work with others co-operatively by exploring and accepting ourselves as individuals.

Describe your practice I devise and run creative projects that use physical theatre, drama, voice, sound and song as a way of bringing people together. I’m currently running interGR8, a multilingual performance project that works with EAL/SEN students in schools. interGR8 helps the sharing of social and cultural experiences, supporting community cohesion and celebrating diversity within Somerset.

How were you drawn into this field of work? I’ve always loved performing, starting at a young age and have been lucky enough to have some wonderful performance experiences that spurred me on to choose a creative career. I found a passion for teaching and learning through drama when facilitating workshops alongside a Shakespeare tour. A mixture of acting/ teaching experiences, travel and work abroad led me to set up my own company, interCre8, cre8tively learning through drama.

What is your favourite educational project to date? So many, that’s a tricky question! I think a 6 week arts summer school working with participants with learning difficulties. I learnt so much from the project and the challenges and rewards were immense. It was a real treat to be able to work consistently with so many fabulous people.

Tell us about an educational project that has had a great effect on you (good or bad)? Teaching English through Drama in Bali, Indonesia. I realised the massive impact that physical learning can have on memory.

Artist ProfileBy moving away from the desk, playing, interacting, exploring, being active, people began to remember words and phrases. Their physical movement memory was connecting with their minds and mouths. I began to wonder if sitting behind a desk, staring at a board all day was the best way to learn?

What is the best/worst thing about being an artist? Being hunched in front of a computer for hours on end doing all the other paperwork stuff!. I like to move. I like to talk, face to face. I like to interact with people and be active.

What is your vision for young people and the arts in Somerset? Sitting and reading and writing may not always be the easiest way for our children to learn or communicate. Creative learning allows young people to express themselves and find their voices through other channels. Creative experiences should be available for all young people and work alongside traditional teaching methods.

How would your friends describe you? Determined, creative, scatty, passionate, Mumsy, Mrs Motivator, bargain hunter

What bit of advice would you give to yourself aged 10? Keep daydreaming, keep creating, listen, relax more, travel lots, don’t give up the saxophone!

What do you do in your spare time? Any spare time is precious and scarce as I’m a Mum and studying English/ linguistics with the Open University too! I love being in big open outdoor spaces with my boys and my partner. Fresh air works wonders for me and I feel very lucky to live in such a beautiful part of the world. Walking, yoga, singing and occasionally sitting down.

If you could have any piece of artwork in your home, whose and which would it be? I’d like Julie Walters and Alan Bennett to have a regular spot on my sofa. They could do the occasional monologue and I’d supply them with endless tea and biscuits.

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Spaghetti Justice is the new dance-in-education project from Mean Feet Dance. The project explores the principles and practice of Restorative Justice which is being introduced across Somerset schools as a new approach to Behaviour Management. The project, which combines performances, residencies, workshops and teacher training, has been commissioned by Street and Glastonbury Community Learning Partnership and developed in partnership with the Somerset Youth Offending Team, the Restorative Justice in Schools Team and the Bath and Wells Diocese.

Restorative Justice has its roots in the Native American talking stick tradition and is being pioneered as an approach to conflict resolution and anti-social behaviour in schools and the youth justice system. It differs to the more common Retributive system which focuses on who is guilty of what and how we punish them for what they have done. Instead, Restorative Justice centres on identifying the harm that has been done in a situation, who is responsible for that harm and what needs to be done to put things right. The approach uses facilitated Restorative Justice Conferences to explore the needs and obligations of both victims and wrong-doers and encourage them to work together to make positive changes.

Viv Gordon, Artistic Director and Choreographer, has created a fun and dynamic dance piece set in a Saloon Bar in the Wild West. The choreography combines contemporary dance with hip hop, salsa, break dancing and physical theatre and is performed by 3 professional dance artists. Spaghetti Justice tells the story of 3 lonely characters: Miss Trixiebelle, the exhausted but businesslike owner of the

Dance

Spaghetti JusticeA tale of 3 lonely souls in the Wild West

To feature in this publication please email your press release to info@spaeda.org.uk

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saloon bar; Billy Boy, her loyal but goofy friend; and Johnny Diamond, the alluring stranger from out of town. As the dance develops, their relationships become strained and things turn nasty, culminating in an exciting bar room brawl. The dance concludes with the characters using the Restorative Justice approach, taking responsibility for their actions and putting things right together.

Over the course of the project over 4500 children and young people in the CLP will have seen Spaghetti Justice and taken part in the post-show discussion. Chris Fogg, Director of Dance at Take Art said “It was a delightfully enjoyable performance; it raised and tackled the issues of Restorative Justice accessibly, appropriately, and entertainingly. The Q&A session afterwards, was exemplary.”

The second stage of the project provides week-long residencies with the dancers for Year 8 groups at St Dunstan’s Community School, Glastonbury and Crispin School, Street as well as Performing Arts students at Strode College. Each of these groups is producing a short dance piece about a Restorative Justice core principle: Respect, Responsibility and Reparation. These will be performed alongside the professional work for all the Primary children in the CLP at Strode Theatre in June. There will also be a public performance of the dance pieces on the 4th June. Sheila Martin from Street and Glastonbury CLP enthuses “This may be the first time many of our children will have seen a professional dance performance, and what an unforgettable experience for the secondary school students, performing on a professional stage to a full house!”

All these schools will receive a workshop, a teaching pack full of creative ideas and information about Restorative Justice and the opportunity to attend a training session for teachers in how to make the most of the experience. The project links directly with the citizenship and PHSE curriculum and the feedback from the residencies shows how the experience is contributing to the personal and social development of participants. 100% of participants report increased awareness and knowledge of RJ principles and concepts. They have also reported improved self-confidence and better understanding of how dance and creativity can be used to explore social issues.

If you would like more information or are interested in how the project could work in your setting, please contact the Spaeda office on 01458 254262 or email info@spaeda.org.uk.

Spaghetti Justice

left rightlift

turn

space play relationshipDance Partners for Creativity Public Seminar 1 Thursday 4 June 2009, 12.15 – 2.45 Researching creativity and partnership in KS3 dance education St Luke’s Campus, Heavitree Road, University of Exeter

Dance Partners for Creativity is an Arts and Humanities Research Council -funded collaborative research project exploring creative partnerships in Key Stage 3 dance education. Dance artists, dance teachers and dance education researchers from University of Exeter, Trinity Laban and a selection of schools and dance organisations across the UK are working together to investigate, challenge and develop dance-artist and dance- teacher partnership practice and invigorate young people’s creativity in dance.

The research team would like to invite anyone in the role of artist, teacher or researcher interested in arts partnership and creativity within a dance context and beyond to join them. They will be sharing emerging ideas, seeking feedback and debating the how and what of arts-based creative partnerships and their accompanying research methodologies.

There are 30 places available. Free of charge, lunch included; booking essential.

To find out more about the seminar, how to book a place go www.education.exeter.ac.uk/dpc/

School workshop

Superact C.I.C is a highly experienced organiser of music- based events formulated to build connections with people for whom traditional methods alone can prove difficult. Their events typically involve both professional live music and hands on audience participation, exploring themes such as feelings, imagination and expression. Superact’s events are often arranged to enhance an organisation’s existing activities but they do also conduct stand alone projects. All their sessions are ability specific and the content planned to suit an audience’s age group.

Superact Community Interest Company

Music

Working with Schools and Young People has very much been at the heart of the work that SUPERACT! has undertaken since it was set up, as well as work with adults and young people with special educational needs and severe physical and learning disabilities.

In early 2008, SUPERACT! was approached by Somerset Music to cover the post of Head of Music at Ansford School near Castle Cary in Somerset. This required them to take the curriculum and approach it from a completely different direction.

A year on the project has proved a huge success. The students have access to music from cultures across the world and a whole variety of genres, provided by visiting musicians who have instilled the school with music. The knock-on effects of music have also been witnessed, with higher levels of concentration and attendance.

The model is also being piloted at Chilton Trinity School in Bridgwater which is also finding it a huge benefit to the students and school alike.

In February 2008, SUPERACT! took over as the lead organisation for the DCMS project JUMPS, which aims to bring music organisations together to promote and offer up more music opportunities to schools and young people. Check out the website for more details www.jumps.org.uk

SUPERACT! is a registered Arts Award centre and has qualified advisers on it’s staff.

If you’d like to hear more about how Superact could help open up new channels of communication for you and your audience, you can contact them on 01823 666641 or e-mail: contact@superact.org.uk

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Story, Music and Art and Craft activities for 2 – 6 year oldsThe ArtSprouts resource book has been two years in the making and includes creative music and arts activities interlinked with a story featuring the Eddystone lighthouse, a mermaid and the Lord Mayor! The resource is a result of repeated requests from people working with young children who felt unsure about how to use music and the arts with toddlers and children under 6. Artsprouts has been the subject of extensive consultation with children’s centres and primary school foundation classes in Plymouth and has an ever widening seal of approval. Even the composer of the hit song ”Bob the Builder”, Paul K Joyce, thinks it’s set to become another children’s favourite: “This book stands out an absolute mile from all the other ones I’ve come across that contain music ... I defy any teacher or parent who thinks they can’t get even the most distracted toddler toe tapping within seconds!”

The original ArtSprouts project was funded by Plymouth City Council Children’s Services and Plymouth Music Zone and managed by Barefoot (Plymouth Arts Education Partnership). Plymouth Music Zone and Barefoot jointly developed the ArtSprouts resource book working closely with staff from the Nomoney and Keystone Children’s Centre and Morice Town Primary School. A grant from the ‘Sing Up’ national singing campaign has now funded both the publication of the book and a programme of ArtSprouts training sessions for early years teachers. All profits from the sale of ArtSprouts will be channeled back into developing work and further resources for young children.

Artsprouts is a 58 page, full colour, illustrated ring bound book with card covers, printed on substantial ‘wipe clean’ paper. Each of its 6 chapters begins with a section of the ‘Simon and the Lighthouse’ story followed by 5 Tiny

Early Years

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ArtSprouts Early Years Arts Resource Book

Tunes music exercises (including warm up and wind down exercises), and a Crafty Creations art activity related to the chapter. The book also includes tips on making instruments, linking the curriculum and medium-term planning. Each copy includes a song CD (clipped into the back cover) to support one song-based activity in each chapter.

Artsprouts is available from Amazon and other on-line booksellers or may be ordered directly from Plymouth Music Zone on 01752 213690 and at info@plymouthmusiczone.org.uk

Little Big Bang is a two year Early Years pilot project embedding three Lead Creative Practitioners in 9 Children Centres across Somerset.

These Lead Creative Practitioners will deliver and develop creative practice within the early years setting and research developmental projects with Somerset Arts Promoters (SAP).

The proposed work aims to provide arts experiences of the highest quality to small children across Somerset, develop a sustainable infrastructure and build early years creative practice and awareness in arts venues and Children Centres.

“Little Big Bang will nurture and foster the children’s natural creativity. Their dispositions for learning will be fostered, their resilience will be strengthened, their decision-making and creative thinking will be enhanced. It will help them to develop their full potential” Karen Wickett, Acorns Nursery Teacher, Taunton

This project offers opportunities for policy makers, researchers and practitioners nationally to learn from experiences developed in Somerset.

We will give you a full project update in the Autumn edition of the Spaeda magazine.

Little Big Bang

PERFORMANCESThursday14th May 8pm Bridgwater Arts Centre RESTITUTION Cost: £8.00, members, concessions: £7.00, groups 20 + : £5.00

Robert has taken on his mother’s quest: to find the painting stolen from his family by Nazis. But, when he happens upon it in a small gallery in Germany, he is forced to question whether seventy years of grieving can be absolved with the return of one picture.

Evocative, touching and thought-provoking, ‘Restitution’ follows two characters on a complex journey of art, loss, and inheritance.

Restitution Is written by Emily Juniper, who also performs in the play. Originally from Bridgwater and a former pupil at Chilton Trinity School, Emily is delighted to be performing on home turf following the play’s London success.

Saturday 16th May Bridgwater Arts Centre LIVEWIRES: BEYOND THE PARRETT Youth Folk Festival Day, ages 8-18 Cost: £5.00 to include Spiers & Boden ticket.

A day of workshops and concerts bringing together Somerset’s young players of traditional music.

Afternoon workshops led by nationally renowned musicians; a showcase concert featuring a wide range of Somerset Youth groups including the Livewires Band; informal sessions and tune-swaps; a free foyer concert at 7pm from Kerr, Fagan, Harbron, and an evening concert featuring the brilliant Spiers and Boden.

Saturday 16th May 8pm Bridgwater Arts Centre SPIERS AND BODEN Cost: £10.00

Described by The Guardian as “the finest instrumental duo on the traditional scene” and twice winners of the BBC Radio 2 folk award for Best Duo, Spiers and Boden have made the genre of spontaneous, punky English folk very much their own stomping ground. Loud, proud, and with just a few acoustic instruments, they create a multitude of textures upon which they present traditional stories and dance music which have taken them on to the main stages of major festivals.

Venue detailsBlack Swan Arts 2 Bridge Street, Frome, Somerset BA11 1BB Tel: 01373 473980 Bridgwater Arts Centre 11 Castle Street, Bridgwater, Somerset TA6 3DD Tel: 01278 422700 The Brewhouse Theatre & Arts Centre Coal Orchard, Taunton Somerset TA1 1JL Tel: 01823 283244 Bridgwater Arts Centre 11 Castle Street, Bridgwater Somerset TA6 3DD Tel: 01278 422700 The Merlin Theatre Bath Road, Frome BA11 2HG Tel: 01373 465949 www.merlintheatre.co.uk The Octagon Theartre Box Office Yeovil Tel: 01935 422884 www.octagon-theatre.co.uk Tacchi Morris Arts Centre School Road, Taunton, Somerset TA2 8PD Tel: 01823 414141 Shute Farm Studio Downhead, Shepton Mallet, Somerset BA4 4LQ. Tel: 01749 8807461 Meeting House Arts Centre East Street, Ilminster, Somerset TA19 0AN Tel: 01460 55783 Strode Theatre Church Rd, Street, Somerset BA16 0AB Tel: 01458 442846

Spaeda are happy to promote these events and listings , but cannot take any responsibility for the content, quality, or subsequent outcomes of the scheduled activities. Any queries or feedback should be directed to the event organisers or venues specified in the listing.

To feature in the next issue email: sarah@spaeda.org.uk

What’s going on

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Spiers and Boden

Restitution

Saturday 30th May 3.00 p.m. The Meeting House MAN FROM STORY MOUNTAIN All tickets are £4.50 (Passport to Leisure holders can get a 25% discount) Please note that places are limited due to size of the teepee! Book early to ensure a place.

Professional storyteller, Adrian Beckingham, returns to weave more magical stories and fill your head with a myriad of fantastical images.

This time he is telling his tales in a traditionally made American Blackfoot Indian Teepee! Authentic Native American stories in an authentic setting!

Children must be accompanied by at least one adult.

Saturday 13th June Bridgwater Arts Centre BRIDGWATER ART CHALLENGE Entry fee: £3; under 16s free

A celebration of Bridgwater in pictures. Artists of any age, professional or amateur, are challenged to create an original piece of work, in any medium, in situ in Bridgwater. Register at BAC between 10am and 11am to have your paper / canvas stamped. You then have until 3.30pm to find your inspiration, produce your work and return to BAC for and informal get-together with refreshments. Completed work will be exhibited at BAC in August.

Wednesday 8th July 8pm Bridgwater Arts Centre Pretty Good Girl ELVIS STILL MY HEART Plus Street Steps “Burn the Floor” Cost: £10.00, members and concessions; £9.00, groups 20 + : £7.00

A highly charged play within a dance, unpicking the story of three young people living in 1970’s London.

With a dynamic cast of three, the story is told via toe–tapping Rock ’n Roll, fast paced physical theatre, all underpinned by a ‘red-blooded’ new musical score.

Pretty Good Girl are delighted to be sharing the evening tonight with BAC’s youth dance group ‘Street Steps’. The group have worked with Louise Barrett (Artistic Director of Pretty Good Girl) on a number of choreographic tasks and developed a range of dancing styles.

Tuesday 14th July 8pm Bridgwater Arts Centre NOISE LIMIT YOUTH THEATRE & DEBORAH BOND DANCE ACADEMY Cost: £4.00

Since Jan ‘09 Noise Limit and director Kerrie Seymour have been in partnership with professional writer Richard Conlon as part of the New Chapters youth theatre project. This an opportunity to have a sneak preview of the show so far before it premiers at the Youth Theatre Festival in October.

The evening will open with a showcase performance by members of the Deborah Band Dance Academy.

Thursday 16th July 8pm Bridgwater Arts Centre BATANI – THE PAYE PAYE TOUR Cost: £10.00, members and concessions: £9.00, groups 20 + : £5.00

A six-strong band featuring a groundbreaking pan-African line-up. Batani present an enchanting celebration of both the past and the future of African tribal music. The band concocts a spectacular and vibrant stage show, with an unstoppable momentum guaranteed to fill the dance floor.

Batani (World Muzic Makers) are offering schools workshops alongside their Paye Paye Tour performance on 16 July. Interested schools should contact Charlie Dearden on 01278 422700 for details.

Livewires

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Elvis Still My Heart

Man From Story Mountain

EXHIBITIONS9th May – 13th June Black Swan Gallery - Gallery One Hillu Liebelt Delicate Matters

Delicate Matters presents a mixture of tapestries and textile sculptures, revealing the artist’s new interest in developing delicate installation work.

The exhibition is about fleeting moments, observations, the process of seeing, feeling, and reflecting. It is also about the line and shape, rhythmic tension and repetition.

9th – 23rd May Black Swan Gallery- Gallery Two Ros Ford Perspectives

An exhibition of etchings about Bristol and new work based on Frome. Ford is a painter, printmaker and educator based in Bristol and her work is inspired by the neglected, overlooked and sideshows of life

May 30th – June 19th Black swan Gallery - Gallery Two Elin Thomas New paintings

An exhibition of elliptical paintings focusing on qualities of visual pleasure and beauty. Images of nature found in domestic fabrics are her primary source material. A combination of found pattern, fabric and craft techniques provides the basis for her intricate and decorative work.

20th June – 12th July Blackswan Gallery - Gallery One Sarah Godsil Beyond the Sightlines

Sarah Godsil has spent the past three years recording daily life and events at the Merlin Theatre in Frome as their resident visual artist. The exhibition, funded by Arts Council England, shows the unseen working that goes towards providing a community theatre for approximately 52,000 participants & audience members over the past three years.

20th June – 12th July Black Swan Gallery - Gallery Two Caroline Sharpe Enjoy the Earth Gently

An exhibition of recent work by Dorset based artist Caroline Sharpe. Work is woven, assembled or constructed using natural materials. Caroline’s work is borne out of her personal interaction with nature.

WORKSHOPSSaturday 23 May and Saturday 4 July 10-4pm Black Swan Gallery Out and About with Ros Ford Cost: £35.00, concessions: £30.00

A drawing workshop led by artist Ros Ford investigating selected locations in Frome using different approaches and drawing media. The drawings worked in the course of the morning session will be developed into monoprints during the afternoon. No experience needed.

Saturday 6 June Black Swan Gallery Origami with Monika Cilmi 10am-4pm Cost: £35.00, concessions:£30.00

A workshop introducing origami and the art of folding. Over the course of the workshop the group will be introduced to basic folding techniques and will then develop these acquired skills into the creation of small exquisite sculptures. The main idea is to enjoy and gain confidence with the art form and have the opportunity to apply it to various crafts such as greeting cards or interior decorations.

CLASSES AND HOLIDAY PROJECTS FOR YOUNG PEOPLESaturdays 10am–12 noon Bridgwater Arts Centre GADABOUTS Weekly: 18 Apr – 11 July. Half-term: 23 & 31 May. No class: 27 June £50 term / £5 weekly

Fun with drama for ages 8-12. Gadabouts is run by Kerrie Seymour. Build confidence and develop creativity through drama games and activities.

Tuesdays 7.30-9.30pm Bridgwater Arts Centre NOISE LIMIT Weekly: 21 Apr – 7 Jul. Show: 14 Jul. £50 / £5 weekly

Youth theatre company for ages 12-16, directed by Kerrie Seymour. Weekly theatre skills workshops exploring creativity and developing ability, with a variety of performance opportunities.

Wed 5-7pm Bridgwater Arts Centre STREET STEPS Weekly: 22 Apr – 1 Jul. Show: 8 Jul. Half-term: 27 May. £5

A developing Street Dance Company for ages 11-16, learn funky dance routines that mix pop and street steps. Combining fitness & fun, dance to the latest tunes & try some of the trickest, most up-to-date dance grooves around! Taught by an experienced tutor from Pretty Good Girl Dance Theatre, learn to choreograph your own moves too!

Holiday Projects

August SEDGEMOOR CIRCUS Bridgwater Arts Centre

Coming to a park near you in August! A free Circus school where you can learn a variety of skills, from plate-spinning to stilt-walking, ready for a grand Circus parade on Sunday 16th August!

Sedgemoor Circus will visit Victoria Park, Cranleigh Gardens, Mansfield Park in Hamp and Woolavington Playing Field. For further details contact Bridgwater Arts Centre.

Supported by Somerset Children’s Fund and Sedgemoor Learning Alliance.

Tue 11 – Sat 15 Aug, 10.30am – 3.30pm Bridgwater Arts Centre STREET THEATRE SUMMER SCHOOL £37.50

For ages 13 -18, create walk-about characters, complete with costumes, and be part of Bridgwater Arts Centre’s Street party on Sunday 16 August! Contact us for an application form, advance booking essential.

Fri 1 – Wed 13 May Bridgwater Arts Centre CREATIVE & MEDIA SHOWCASE

The Creative and Media Diploma is a brand-new qualification. Students work for one year and this exhibition features some of the work accomplished, including print, textiles, surface pattern, plastic bonding and fusing. Film and animation designed for the dissemination of public information is also featured.

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YOUTH ARTS FESTIVALJune 15th – July 4th REGENERATION The Brewhouse

RE:GENERATION is a three week festival of events, performances, exhibitions and workshops that aim to open the doors to the arts and showcase work made by a new generation in Somerset at The Brewhouse theatre and arts centre.

Mon 22 June, 10am – 2pm The Brewhouse Arts Graduate Consultancy Day Led by Spaeda FREE

Spaeda will host a consultation day for arts graduates to explore and answer questions about career choices and working as a creative practitioner. There will be space to record your hopes, dreams and aspirations for the future, and contribute to a consultation about culture in Somerset.

Wed 24 June, 10am – 2pm The Brewhouse Careers Day Academic Years 7 – 9, FREE

An opportunity to find out about careers in the creative industries – particularly relating to theatre and visual arts. Participants will be able to meet professionals, find out about where to train and take part in hands-on taster sessions.

Mon 29 June The Brewhouse Urban Junction Dance Company workshops

Workshops are available for schools and youth groups to work with Urban Junction Dance Company, a professional street dance company from Somerset. The workshop will teach techniques, rhythms and bridge the gap between art and physical education.

To find out more or to book please contact Emily Bull at The Brewhouse on 01823 273804 or email Emily.bull@thebrewhouse.net

Workshops are free subject to funding.

Tues 30 June & Wed 1 July The Brewhouse Cirque Bijou Workshops for schools

A two and a half hour workshop working with professional performers to learn the skills and techniques it takes to Beat Box, VJ and Break Dance.

To find out more or to book please contact Emily Bull at The Brewhouse on 01823 273804 or email Emily.bull@thebrewhouse.net

Wed 1 July, 7.45pm The Brewhouse Urban Junction Adults £6, 21 and under £4, NUS £4

Born both of its time and of future, exploring a world where play is life’s main motivation. Bridging the gap between sport and art, with an urban backdrop and high production values.

An evening of two parts both creating explosive urban performances to stimulate the imagination and the soul.

Cirque Bijou and Urban Junction Dance Company will take you on a journey of physical and visual theatre presenting a mix of live video, beat boxing, Street and Break Dancing.

Along with the above performances, workshops and events RE:GENERATION will provide avenues for young people to get involved by participation, being a member of the audience or showcasing their talents.

To find out more ways to get involved and about other things happening through the festival visit – www.thebrewhouse.net

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These listings are provided to create more opportunities for children and young people to get involved with the arts. Please feel free to copy and distribute to staff, parents and students.

To feature in the next issue email: sarah@spaeda.org.uk

Merlin Theatre and Take Art to give away free ticketsA Night Less Ordinary is an Arts Council England scheme, supported by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, to get more young people into theatres across the country. The £2.5 million scheme will provide 618,000 free theatre tickets to anyone under 26 in more than 200 venues across England, between February 2009 and March 2011.

The Merlin is the only theatre in Somerset to have taken up the scheme and is aiming to give away 2000 tickets in the next two years.

For more details on A Night Less Ordinary, please contact Helen on 01373 461360 or helen@merlintheatre.co.uk

Take Art will be giving away free tickets to under 26s, to any show on the live programme from September 2009 – May 2011, please contact Becci at Take Art on 01460 249450 or email becci@takeart.org.

www.anightlessordinary.org.uk

Spaedaarts education

To advertise in this publication please contact Spaeda on 0845 3580368 email: info@spaeda.org.uk

June 15th – July 4thRE:GENERATION is a three week festival of events, performances, exhibitions and workshops that aim to open the doors to the arts and showcase work made by a new generation in Somerset at The Brewhouse theatre and arts centre.Along with performances, workshops and events RE:GENERATION will provide avenues for young people to get involved - taking part, watching shows or showcasing their talents.

Spaeda and The Brewhouse have made two dates available free of charge, for arts award schools and groups may want to use the Studio Theatre to perform arts award related work, and celebrate achievement. Gallery space has also been provided for visual arts award achievers.

The dates available are: Thursday 18th June and Friday 19th June

To find out more ways to get involved and about other things happening through the festival, please see listings pages inside or visit: www.thebrewhouse.net

Re:generaTion

Spaedaarts educationNorthern School of Contemporary Dance present Verve