All posts by Olivia Wexelstein

Creative Partners

VYN Networking Events

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A networking breakfast with around 40 people and 20 organisations went ahead on 26thMarch at the Gilvenbank Hotel in Glenrothes.  This event was once again very successful and everyone enjoyed the experience.   Delegates enjoyed a heartly breakfast followed by presentation from Paul McIlvenney about Young People’s participation and how to engage with them about the referendum.

If you took part in the event please click on the following link and complete this short survey.  It will take a couple of minutes and help us evaluate the service:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Y86C6DJ

We have another event planned for 30th October 2014 at the Carnegie Conference Centre. We’d really value your suggestions for topics for table discussions as well as anything you’d like to see at the event.

If you would like further information about the VYN Network or would like to post something on the E-Bulletin please contact the team at vyn@btconnect.com or call 01592611319.  We would be very interested to know if you would like attend future events.

Come and join us to celebrate the creativity and individuality of the voluntary youth work sector!

Drama, Health and Wellbeing, Primary schools, Social Studies

New Gang Awareness Drama Workshop and topical Autumn production for schools

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Presents:
Two brand new Drama Workshops and a topical Autumn Production!

Gang Awareness Drama Workshop
90 minute workshop with two facilitators, suitable for P6 / P7 – two classes (66 pupils) £185.00.
•    Highlight the advantages of being an individual as opposed to gang member.

•    Increase understanding that underneath gang membership there is always fear.

•    Develop confidence and self-esteem in pupils and increase emotional literacy.

•    Promote healthier relationships between pupils and the extended community.
Link to Hopscotch webpage for more info

Colin’s Well Healthy Drama Workshop
90 minute workshop with two actors, suitable for P4 – P7 – two classes (66 pupils) £185.00.

Starting with a comical 10 minute performance which acts as a springboard into the rest of the workshop.
•    Highlight the long-term benefits of healthy eating through role play.

•    Reveal the long term problems of unhealthy eating.

•    Provide an increased knowledge of and interest in healthy eating.

•    Provoke discussions around adopting a healthier lifestyle.
Link to Hopscotch webpage for more info
Other available drama workshops are:
Fair Trade, Anti-Bullying, Superhero, Eco and The Blitz

Recent feedback from Eddleston Primary on our Fair Trade Workshop:

“Catered really well for different ages.  I loved the participation.  Great control over the children – kept them engaged.  Best Drama CPD I have had in a long time.”
Fiona Taylor, P5- P7, 22/4/14

St. Andrew & the Story of Scotland’s Flag
A fun, fifty-five minute performance with music and song. P1 – P7 £395.00
SOC 1-04a – I can compare aspects of people’s daily lives in the past with my own by using historical evidence or the experience of recreating an historical setting.

SOC 2-02a – I can interpret historical evidence from a range of periods to help to build a picture of Scotland’s heritage and my sense of chronology.

SOC 2-03a – I can investigate a Scottish historical theme to discover how past events of the actions of individuals or groups have shaped Scottish society.

LIT 0-04a – Listen or watch for useful or interesting information and I use this to learn new things.
Link to Hopscotch webpage for more info
Phone Gordon or Susan on 0141 440 2025
Health and Wellbeing, Primary schools, resources, Science, Secondary schools

Commonwealth Games inspire Woodland Workout

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Forestry Commission Scotland is encouraging young people to feel the benefit of the Commonwealth Games with a new Woodland Workout pack.

Targeted at 3-14 year olds the pack promotes opportunities for quality, fun and safe physical activity in the outdoors and includes ideas for games, physical activities and staging ‘adapted’ Commonwealth sports in the woodlands.

The pack, complete with teachers’ guide, encourages young people to have fun but to also be responsible for their well-being and consider risk. As well as considering potential hazards in their activity space and taking risks with solving problems, it also allows children the chance to learn how to manage ‘failure’ through reflecting on performance to set new challenges.

The Woodland Workout, with Commonwealth Games supplement has been issued to schools across Scotland and is available to download.

Music, Opportunities

Youth Music Initiative Consultation Opportunity

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As part of the on-going Year 11 Youth Music Initiative programme in Aberdeenshire the Arts Development team is looking to appoint a researcher to plan and run a consultation exercise with children and young people in the region.

The Youth Music Initiative (YMI) programme, which is administered nationally by Creative Scotland, has two key purposes:

1/ To meet the Scottish Government’s P6 target that “every school pupil in Scotland should be offered a year of free music tuition by the time they reach Primary 6.”

2/ For projects delivered beyond the P6 target the purpose is: “to engage young people (of any school age) who otherwise would not participate in quality music making activities.”

With these priorities in mind and working closely with the Aberdeenshire YMI team, the consultation will engage with children and young people across Aberdeenshire to ascertain what impact the work is having, what areas of music are popular and where gaps exist that can be addressed in future years.

It is envisaged that the consultation will be with a range of participants such as those undertaking YMI projects, children and young people in other music settings, Visiting Music Specialist’s classes, school councils and Community Learning and Development groups.  It is important to note that Aberdeenshire is a large, mainly rural, locality and evidence will be required from a representative cross-section the region.

The research post is open to cultural professionals and creative artists who will be employed on a freelance basis and will need to be available between May and July (2014) to work with school based groups, with the report completed by the end of August.  Successful candidates will be required to be PVG registered with Disclosure Scotland (Protecting Vulnerable Groups Scheme).

A fee of £5,000 is available for the work, which will cover all research, travel and subsistence, materials and final report.  We will shortlist candidates for interview based on an indication of suitable experience and creative responses to the brief.

To apply please send by email:

  • Your CV
  • A short description of how you would conduct the research on two sheets of A4, with a breakdown of associated costs, based on the figure above.
  • Details of two referees

Deadline for email applications 12 May, 2014 to david.atherton@aberdeenshire.gov.uk

Only email applications will be considered.

Please note interviews are planned for 19 & 20 May, 2014 at Woodhill House in Aberdeen.  Candidates will be judged on the basis of a short presentation and responses to questions from the panel.

For informal discussion and more information about the project please contact:

David Atherton, Arts Education Officer, 01224 665363 david.atherton@aberdeenshire.gov.uk or

Jenna Main, Youth Music Initiative Officer, 01224 664604 jenna.main@aberdeenshire.gov.uk

Art, Art and Design, CPD, Expressive Arts, Primary schools, Science, Scotland Colleges, Secondary schools, Social Studies, Technologies

New CPD sessions at DCA

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Click on the link below to download the booklet from DCA detailing new creative CPD sessions for the next academic year.
DCA aim to combine their classroom experience with exciting programme content and ‘really useful’ resources so that teachers take away something that can be used in class the next day.  There is  a charge but within that they provide tea/coffee and cake/nibbles to keep folk going.
CPD, Creative Partners

What’s on at Youth 1st

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Please find below details of events and training coming up over the next couple of months.

If you are interested in any of the events contact the office on 01592 611319 or email nichola@youth1st.co.uk.

Places are limited on the workshops so book now to avoid disappointment.

Like and share our new Facebook page by clicking this link:  www.facebook.com/youth1st1938

Attached are flyers for all the workshops.  Please complete a registration form to book a place.

Emergency First Aid

Date:               13/05/14    16/09/14

Time:               5.30 to 9pm

Venue:            Youth 1st

Cost:                £25 per person

Hosted by Youth 1st and delivered by qualified First Aid instructors from Thistle Medical, this session gives the first aider the confidence

to deal with most emergency situations until the arrival of the emergency services.

There are STILL PLACES AVAILABLE on this workshop. BOOK NOW to avoid disappointment. Deadline for registration is 1st May 2014.

Dynamic Youth Awards

Date:               27/05/14

Time:               6pm to 9pm

Venue:            Youth 1st

Cost:                FREE for Youth 1st member groups and voluntary youth organisations. £15 per person for all others.

This induction training course is aimed at youth workers or volunteers who are thinking about introducing Dynamic Youth Awards to their young people. Dynamic Youth Awards are activity based and are designed to encourage young people to progressively take more responsibility in organising activities in their communities. Attendance at the induction is a requirement before you can deliver the awards to young people. This ensures that the Awards are completed to the standard that the awarding body, ASDAN require.

There are STILL PLACES AVAILABLE on this workshop. BOOK NOW to avoid disappointment. Deadline for registration is 12th May 2014.

Stand Up

Date:               02/06/14

Time:               10am to 1pm

Venue:            Youth 1st

Cost:                Free – Lunch will also be provided

This interactive session will explore the causes, issues and impact of sectarianism in Scotland. It will focus on providing participants with the skills to run dynamic and effective anti-sectarian workshops and programmes for young people.

These training events have been designed and developed in partnership with Nil by Mouth, Scotland’s leading anti-sectarian charity, with over a decades experience in helping challenge sectarianism.

Learning Outcomes

1. Increased awareness of the causes and issues surrounding sectarianism.

2. Greater understanding of sectarianism and how it present itself in modern Scotland, including its impacts on our society.

3. Increased confidence to deliver quality youth work on sectarian issues.

4. Increased knowledge of resources available and examples of best practice in challenging sectarianism.

To book a place please follow link below.

http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/stand-up-to-sectarianism-intro-for-youth-workers-and-volunteers-tickets-11196730723

Youth Achievement Awards

Date:               24/06/14

Time:               6pm to 9pm

Venue:            Youth 1st

Cost:                FREE for Youth 1st member groups and voluntary youth organisations. £15 per person for all others.

This induction training course is aimed at youth workers or volunteers who are thinking about introducing Youth Achievement Awards to their young people. Youth Achievement Awards are activity based and are designed to encourage young people to progressively take more responsibility in organising events within their community. Attendance at the induction is a requirement before you can deliver the awards to young people. This ensures that the Awards are completed to the standard that the awarding body, ASDAN require.

There are STILL PLACES AVAILABLE on this workshop. BOOK NOW to avoid disappointment. Deadline for registration is 9th June 2014.

Music, Opportunities, Primary schools, Secondary schools

RSNO Engage for Schools

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RSNO Engage for Schools most ambitious Scotland-wide orchestral music initiative to date: Brochures making their way to schools over the next month.

From May, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra (RSNO) will provide the most comprehensive orchestra-led music access programme to primary and secondary schools across Scotland. In terms of scale and choice, RSNO Engage for Schools is the first of its kind in the UK, as education establishments can pick and choose the level of music education provision they require from over thirty options.

Headlining the new initiative, the RSNO launches a national composition competition, in partnership with the National Trust for Scotland, open to 12 to 18 year olds across the country. Notes From Scotland invites young composers to write a two-minute work for an instrumental trio, quartet or quintet. The theme for the first year’s Notes From Scotland is inspired by five National Trust locations around the country.

BAFTA, GRAMMY and Ivor Novello award-winning composer Craig Armstrong OBE, famed for his soundtracks to blockbusters such as Moulin Rouge!,Love Actually and The Great Gatsby, welcomed the move:

This is a fantastic idea to engage young people in composition and to bring them together with existing composers and musicians to pass on their knowledge and skills. I’m sure it will be an invaluable experience for all concerned.

RSNO Engage for Schools comprises four distinct sections; RSNO PLAY – performance-based workshops, RSNO CREATE – composition workshops, RSNO LISTEN – exploring musical concepts and appreciation, and RSNO WATCH – educational performances. Among the many available activities and workshops are conducting lessons, improvisation for beginners, samba workshops, instrumental coaching, digital composition sessions, an Instrument Petting Zoo (where children can play with orchestral instruments for the first time), and, from January 2015, a cross-Atlantic collaboration with US orchestras examining the music of American composers.

Last June the RSNO published the first ever careers booklet created by an orchestra, providing information on available courses and further education opportunities as well as case studies and insights into the workings of a modern professional symphony orchestra. The booklet is available from rsno.org.uk/engage.

Now the Orchestra will be providing work experience opportunities to fifty young people each year, where pupils will assume control of Scotland’s national orchestra over a two-day period, with a view to planning, producing and performing their own concert at the end of the placement.

RSNO Engage for Schools is devised to be fully integrated into the goals of the national Curriculum for Excellence (CfE), offering increased music education and learning provisions through new concerts for every level of CfE from age 3 to 18 years. It is intended that, in its first year, over fifty thousand young people in Scotland will benefit from engaging with some form of RSNO Engageactivity.

The RSNO Engage for Schools is part of the RSNO Engageinitiative, announced last year, which has led to a five-fold increase in the number of people enjoying music with Scotland’s national orchestra outside of its Season performances. A notable success story is the RSNO’s Young Ambassadors scheme, which invites young people aged 16 to 18 to help promote the live orchestral experience in their area. There is now at least one RSNO Young Ambassador for every local authority in Scotland, and the attendance of audience members under 26 years old has risen to 15% across Scotland and nearly 20% in Glasgow as a result.

RSNO Director of Learning and Engagement Jenn Minchin:

We’re very excited to be unveiling our new programme, RSNO Engage for Schools. Its development is geared towards providing the most valuable experience in terms of musical enjoyment and understanding, and provides a seamless integration with schools curriculum requirements at all levels. What’s more, it is available to every school across the country, and those who choose to engage with Scotland’s national orchestra can do so at the level of their choice. It promises to be the most ambitious learning and engagement drive of any performing arts organisation in the UK, and we are very much looking forward to sharing our love of music with many new enthusiasts.

For more information on RSNO Engage for Schools, contact the RSNO Engage Team on 0141 225 3574, email: engage@rsno.org.uk, or visit rsno.org.uk/engage.

Primary schools, Secondary schools, Social Studies

Battle of Bannockburn Short film competition- Vote Now!

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The shortlist has now been announced for the Battle of Bannockburn short film competition. Schools entered from across the country and there was such a variety of styles, plots, characters, scripts and costume that the team really struggled to decide between the entries however the final five are: Craigour Park Primary,  Knightsridge Primary,  Letham Primary,  Sanquhar Primary and Ullapool High.

One member of the judging panel ,who will choose the overall winner, is you, the public. Follow this link to watch all five films and then vote for your favourite. All five films are great examples of storytelling and drama and staff have been really impressed by the depth of knowledge all our film-makers have on the battle. Your pupils will love the films that have been created, why not watch them together and then cast your vote.