Category Archives: Opportunities

Creative Partners, Creative practitioners, Curriculum for Excellence, Learning, Opportunities, Primary schools, Social Studies

Historic Scotland – Activities for schools

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Entertaining the Earl!

Aberdour Castle

Tuesdays by arrangement

FREE activity for schools (P4-7)

Discover what life was like at Aberdour Castle in the 16th century. Who lived in the castle and what did they wear?  How did they spend their time?  Tour the castle, try on some outfits from the period and learn a dance to take back to school!

Phone 01383 860 519 to book a session

A Sense of Dunfermline Abbey

Dunfermline Abbey

Dates in June by arrangement

FREE activity for nursery/schools (P1-3 )

Explore the five senses through the story of David, a young monk at the abbey.  Discover sound in the nave, taste in the abbey kitchen, smell from the herb garden, light through the windows and textures in the dormitory by taking part in hands-on activities

Phone 0131 652 8155/56 to book a session

Competition, Creative Learning, Creative Partners, Creative practitioners, Creativity, Curriculum for Excellence, Literacy and English

Scottish Book Trust – Treasures

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This year’s annual campaign is Treasures, which is currently running on the Scottish Book Trust website.  Stories submitted by the deadline of 31 July 2013 will be considered for inclusion in the Treasures book, thousands of copies of which will be distributed during Book Week Scotland – 25 November to 1 December 2013.

Together resource packs for schools and adult learning tutors are also available, which can be found in the resources section of the website.  http://www.scottishbooktrust.com/reading/treasures/resources

Art, Art and Design, CPD, Creativity, Curriculum for Excellence, Dance, Drama, Education Scotland, Events, Expressive Arts, Literacy and English, Music, Opportunities, SLF13, Technologies

Scottish Learning Festival 2013

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Registration is now open for this year’s Scottish Learning Festival (SLF), which takes place on Wednesday 25 and Thursday 26 September in the SECC, Glasgow.

The Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning will give the opening address to SLF.

In addition, there will be the keynotes from the following international renowned speakers:

  • Prof Andy Hargreaves, Thomas Moore Brennan Chair, Lynch School of Education, University of Boston;
  • Dr Avis Glaze, Edu-quest International Inc. and former Chief Student Achievement Officer of Ontario; and
  • Dr Pasi Sahlberg, Director General, Centre for International Mobility and Cooperation, Finland.

As well as round table discussions led by:

  • Prof Petra Wend; and
  • Dr Bill Maxwell and partners.

The full programme of keynotes and seminars along with details of the range of additional activities are available on the SLF website.

Seminars which may be of interest

The M Factor

Finding their Voice: Engaging teenagers with poetry and debate through rap and performance

3-18 Curriculum Impact Reviews: Creativity 3-18

Launch of Education Scotland’s Building Capacity for Continuous Improvement strategy

Global Citizenship – Bringing It All Together

Learning experiences through Glow – Partnership working

Moving image education: Screening Shorts

Expressive arts: What’s on the third horizon?

English language class arts exhibition project: East Kilbride

Short & sweet: Short films as a route to developing modern foreign languages

CPD, Creative practitioners, Creativity, Curriculum for Excellence, Dance, Drama, Expressive Arts, Music, Opportunities

Discover Dalcroze

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Discover Dalcroze is a two-day event taking place at University of St Andrews Music Centre 2-3 November 2013, providing a practical insight into the Dalcroze Method.  Workshops will be led by the UK’s leading experts and there will be specialist sessions on its application is a wide range of settings.
  • Movement and instrumental teaching – Flautist Lis Dooner and students from Royal Conservatoire of Scotland demonstrate how Dalcroze can be used to enhance practice and performance skills
  • Dalcroze and String Teaching – Monica Wilkinson will show how Dalcroze can be used to develop physical awareness and technique alongside musicianship
  • Music, Connectivity and the Plastic Brain – Eric Barnhill takes us on a tour of the musical brain
Other topics addressed in relation to Dalcroze include:
  • Dyslexia and dyspraxia
  • The elderly
  • Special needs
  • Relationship between Dalcroze and Music Therapy
  • Dalcroze for singers
Detailed information can be accessed by clicking on the logo below, where bookings can also be made.
CPD, Creativity, Events, Opportunities, Scotland Colleges, Technologies

Learning Through Gaming

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Thursday 20 June 2013 (10:00 – 16:00)
Dundee College, Gardyne Campus


This event will consider the current and developing context of games in education and how education can embrace the potential for these environments.
As part of the Festival of Dangerous Ideas, participants at the event are encouraged be as ‘dangerous’ as possible in considering how gaming can influence pedagogy and encourage greater engagement with learning.
Speakers include Chris van der Kuyl of brightsolid, Derek Robertson of Education Scotland and David Renton of Reid Kerr College.
For more information about the Festival of Dangerous Ideas, visit the website,Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.
Challenge, Competition, Creativity, Curriculum for Excellence, Health and Wellbeing, Opportunities

Game On Challenge– put your goals for 2014 on the map

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Is your school or organisation planning to mark the Commonwealth Games with a specific initiative? A fun run or sports day perhaps? Getting involved in the Queen’s Baton Relay? A whole school initiative? Or is your local authority running a Mini Games programme?

No matter how big or small your Games related initiatives are we invite you to share them through the Game On Challenge and add to the excitement now building towards Glasgow 2014, the biggest multi-sporting event ever hosted in Scotland.

Benefits of taking the Game On Challenge

  • Your school/organisation will be showcased on the Game On Challenge interactive map alongside other entries from across the UK and beyond. This will provide others with ideas and inspiration for learning through the Games.
  • Every school and organisation that takes part will receive an official ‘Game On Scotland’ certificate.
  • Education establishments may also be eligible for a Game On Scotland plaque in recognition of imaginative ways they have used the Games as a context for learning.
  • All entries will be in with a chance to win exclusive Glasgow 2014 prizes.
  • Scottish schools who sign up by the 24 May will be entered into a free prize draw to receive a visit from Clyde, the official mascot for the Games.

How do we share our challenge?

Simply visit the Take the challenge page and complete the form.

Creative practitioners, Creativity, Funding

New Funding Opportunity Launched by Fife Council

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A new one-off Culture and Heritage Investment Fund for 2013/14 of £200,000 has been launched by Fife Council to help encourage local people to discover the wealth of cultural and heritage facilities in Fife. The fund aims to increase access to the wide range of facilities available in Fife and to support organisations to encourage members of the public to visit their cultural and heritage attractions.

As well as making cultural and heritage facilities more accessible for Fifers the fund will also be used to support organisations:

  • widen access to, and develop, new audiences
  • increase opportunities for schools and young people to experience and learn from Fife’s rich heritage
  • enhance the marketing and promotion provision
  • support business and skills development to help ensure long-term viability

This fund will support cultural and heritage activities, events and projects which can deliver against one or more of the priorities relating to Education & Skills, Employment & Enterprise, Community Engagement and Partnership Working.

Applications can be submitted from 18th April 2013 and will be evaluated as they are received and the outcome advised within 3 weeks.

Although activities, events or projects may run into 2014/15, the funding must be allocated and spent towards the costs before 31st March 2014. Funding will be considered up to a maximum of 50% of the total cash costs of the project and up to £20,000.

Please click here to download information and application form or contact Angela Scott, Events Strategy Officer, for advice and guidance on 01383 602123.

Creative Partners, Creativity, Curriculum for Excellence, Drama, Expressive Arts, Music, Opportunities

YMT’s Skills Courses – Do something fun this summer holidays

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This summer holidays will soon be starting, can I hear a huge cheer?! So how are you planning on keeping yourself entertained? Youth Music Theatre UK, the national music theatre company for young people, are running six-day action-packed residential Skills Courses in musical theatre (for ages 11-21) in London, Surrey, Hertfordshire and Edinburgh.
Get the chance to develop your skills in acting, singing and dancing, gain a grade 6 Trinity Guildhall certificate, make lots of new friends, create a musical in six fun-filled days and perform it to family and friends. If you or someone you know would like to take part, find out more about each course theme below…
Summer Skills Course in Edinburgh
Monday 5 August – Saturday 10 August
Edinburgh’s Summer Skills Course is based around the themes ‘The Boy Who Fell Asleep’ and ‘Sleeping Beauty’. Jenna is different from most young girls her age. Jenna randomly falls asleep. What would happen if she didn’t wake, would she be completely forgotten, would any one care?

Find out more and book a place

Competition, Curriculum for Excellence, Literacy and English, Opportunities

21st Century fairytales sought to celebrate golden anniversary

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To mark the 50th anniversary of the National Trust for Scotland’s care of Craigievar Castle – the conservation charity has teamed up with the Press and Journal, Aberdeenshire Writer in Residence Deborah Leslie and the Friends of Craigievar Castle to launch the Craigievar Creative Writing competition. Entries are invited from school pupils in 2 categories P6 – P7 for Junior Category and S1 to S6 for Senior Category, and all stories must be 500 words and suitable for children under ten years of age.

The winning entry will be chosen by Aberdeenshire’s Deborah Leslie the celebrated author of children’s tales such as the ‘Fyvie Castle Witch Trials’,  and the top 2 stories will be performed by Deborah at Craigievar Castle on the 7 and 8 September at a special Family Fairytale Castle day.

To find out more information including How to Enter, Facts about Craigievar, take a virtual tour of the castle to help inspire you and the terms and conditions for entry visit

http://www.nts.org.uk/learn/events_writing.php or to discuss the competition please contact Dr Alison Burke – ABurke@nts.org.uk or 0844 493 2161.

Art, Art and Design, Creative Learning, Creativity, Curriculum for Excellence, Expressive Arts, Funding, Health and Wellbeing, Opportunities

Celebrate

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Celebrate is a joint scheme originated by the Scottish Lottery Distributor’s Forum (SLDF) offering funding for events and projects which celebrate Glasgow 2014 or that are inspired by Scottish links to the 71 nations and territories which make up the Commonwealth.

Celebrate will support new and existing events and activities that mark the Games through arts, heritage, sports and local community celebrations. It will fund local celebration events and activities which stimulate greater involvement in community activity and develop your understanding as citizens of the Commonwealth. Celebrations can be a single one-off event or activities which with a celebration event.

Projects should meet one or more of the following outcomes:

  • Communities come together through arts, heritage, sports and local celebrations of the Commonwealth Games;
  • Communities celebrate the people, places and culture of the commonwealth.

You can apply if you are a:

  • voluntary and community organisation;
  • community council;
  • statutory body (such as a school, local authority or health board).

You can apply for between £500 and £10,000.

Applications to Celebrate will close at noon on Friday 12 December 2014.

Please note that your application should be sent at least three months before your project is due to start.

Contact: Celebrate, phone: 0300 123 7110 [ e-mail | website ]