Category Archives: Expressive Arts

Primary pupils’ film under the spotlight in UK finals


A primary school in Inverness will be flying the flag for Scotland next month after successfully winning through to the finals of a UK- wide technology competition.

The challenge for schools taking part in the Make IT Healthy 2012 competition was to demonstrate how they use IT to contribute to a healthier life for students, the school community and even for those in the wider community.

A group of P6 children from Raigmore Primary School chose to make a film all about their ‘Big  100’ event held at the school on 12  March, for Sport Your Trainers day which was part of the Glasgow Commonwealth Games team campaign to get everyone wearing their trainers.

http://www.highland.gov.uk/yourcouncil/news/newsreleases/2012/May/2012-05-21-03.htm

Win the Gold – music and olympics – free online resource

A new Olympics project, allowing pupils to create and work with music through an online tool from ABC Creative Music is now free to 6 local authorities, with a free trial available to all others.

The six local authorities include: Edinburgh, Midlothian, Dumfries & Galloway, East Ayrshire, Clackmannanshire, and Western Isles.

Due to popular demand and a great response from P4 and 5 teachers who have seen the material we have created a seperate course so that teachers can use this resource from P4-7 (Year 3 – Year 6). Check out the fantastic Medal Ceremony Interactive!!

Here is a short movie about our Olympic project – WIN THE GOLD:

http://www.abcmusic.org.uk and then click on the SITE TOUR button.

On Youtube: http://youtu.be/gg7iN5XOxs0

On Screencast: http://www.screencast.com/t/69wG4wiOATD

WIN THE GOLD is a fun Olympic themed song and range of flexible projects for P4-7 (Year 3-6) that class teachers can use to add music to an Olympic project.

To sign up log into ABC Online at www.abcmusic.org.uk <http://www.abcmusic.org.uk>  and go to Staffroom>Request & Unlock Trial Course and choose WIN THE GOLD – OLYMPICS 2012.

Royal Shakespeare Company webcast – Monday July 2nd

On Monday 2 July at 10.30, a filmed version of I, Cinna (The Poet) will be streamed exclusively to schools around the UK. The film will be followed by a live question and answer session with the actor and writer.

This unique online event gives students aged 11 to 16 the chance to participate in a real-time nationwide project in which they can interact with thousands of other young people across the country. It will be a one click and play live broadcast, which teachers will be able to access on their computer and play through any projection device in the classroom, including a Whiteboard.

Written for ages 11+, I,Cinna (The Poet) is Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar told through the eyes of a jiggling fool.

Cinna asks the young audience to consider the relationship between words and actions, art and politics, self and society. During the performance he will ask students to write poems with him: small poems on big themes. These poems can be reworked after the performance and sent to the RSC, where a web archive of responses to the play will be created.

I,Cinna is the latest in a series of solo shows written and directed by Tim Crouch inspired by Shakespeare’s lesser characters, including I, Peaseblossom and I, Malvolio (RSC, 2011) and has been commissioned as part of the World Shakespeare Festival.

Eric Booth Masterclass – motivating arts learning experiences

Activated environment – motivated participants
An Eric Booth Masterclass, for ArtWorks Scotland

19 June 2012, 10 am to 4pm, at the Dovecot Studios in Edinburgh

Spend a day exploring the mechanics of motivation with a master ‘teaching artist’ and arts education consultant from the USA.

“Research shows that the single greatest influence on the quality of an arts learning experience is the motivation of the learner, and the second greatest influence is the social environment that impacts that individual’s motivation. Our workshop will explore the ways that teaching artists can better support the courage of participants to pour themselves into our learning opportunities, and the ways we create conducive environments—quickly.” Eric Booth

Places on this day long masterclass are limited to 30 and are open to artists across all artforms and levels of experience. As the ArtWorks team are keen to offer places to a cross section of artists, participants will be selected by a panel based on the criteria in the booking form.

To submit a request for a place on this masterclass request a booking form from Hilary Nicoll (ArtWorks Scotland project manager) viahilary.nicoll@creativescotland.com

The search is on for Scotland’s Favourite Place – Scottish Book Trust, BBC Scotland


http://www.scottishbooktrust.com/blog/press-releases/2012/03/the-search-is-on-for-scotland%E2%80%99s-favourite-places

Scottish Book Trust and BBC Scotland have launched an exciting new writing project to encourage people to write about the place in Scotland that they love the most.

My Favourite Place in Scotland is running from 19 March to 31 August 2012, and in that time Scottish Book Trust wants to involve everyone in Scotland in building a written picture of Scotland’s best-loved places.

Submissions should be made to Scottish Book Trust website and can be written in a huge variety of different forms, such as a story, poem, song lyrics, a short play or sketch, a letter or even diary entry.

Each submission will feature on Scottish Book Trust’s website and a selection of the most interesting and inspiring offerings will be broadcast on BBC Radio Scotland and published in a book in late 2012.

Submissions can be made online athttp://www.scottishbooktrust.com/myfavouriteplace or by post to My Favourite Place, Scottish Book Trust, Sandeman House, Trunks Close, 55 High Street, Edinburgh EH1 1SR.

The closing date for entries is 31 August 2012.

For more information read Scottish Book Trust press release.

Seminar event presented by Licketyspit Children’s Theatre Company

We would be delighted if you could join us for the Glasgow Launch of LicketyLeap on

Tuesday 22nd May 2012, 6pm – 8pm (refreshments provided)

Drumchapel Community Centre, 320 Kinfauns Drive, Glasgow G15 7HA.

Funded by Scottish Government through the Inspiring Scotland Early Years Early Action

Fund, Licketyspit is the first theatre company commissioned to deliver Early

Intervention in this way. LicketyLeap is a unique immersive theatre project for three

to five year olds, which engages with nursery staff, parents, carers and wider children’s

service providers. Interim evaluation on recent work in North Edinburgh, to be announced

at this event, indicates remarkable results in relation to confidence, social skills,

emotional literacy and resilience and problem solving among the vulnerable early

years children who have participated. This, the first year of the project, will see 230 early

years children in Drumchapel experience LicketyLeap, together with their teachers,

families and carers.

The event will include a presentation, followed by a short film of LicketyLeap in action.

There will be an opportunity for questions and a discussion about the relevance of this

work to other children’s service providers. LicketyLeap has been getting an unprecedented

response from families and carers and is a prime example of the way arts projects can

empower vulnerable children and inspire communities. Local nursery staff engaged in

LicketyLeap deliveries will be present together with representatives from many of the

groups in Glasgow with an interest in nurturing and supporting vulnerable early years

children and their families and carers.

This Sucks: The Movie! Featuring a cast of hundreds of nursery pupils

Earlier this year, Glasgow Film Theatre, StarcatchersPlatform and Toad’s Caravan joined forces to produceThis Sucks: The Movie, starring a talented cast of hundreds of children from nurseries around the East-End of Glasgow.

Over two weeks during February, hundreds of children from Glasgow nurseries participated in making the film with directors Matt Addicott and Katy Wilson from Starcatchers and the support of Toad’s Caravan. The film tells the story of Hetty the Hoover and the love of her life — Mike Dust. The concept grew from a previous, highly successful Starcatchers project, This Workshop Sucks, which premiered at the Glasgow Youth Film Festival 2011.

Nursery pupils from Barlanark Family Learning Centre, Helenslea Nursery School, Hullabaloo Children Centre, Sandaig Nursery School and Westercraigs Nursery all took part in the filming. They joined us last week for the world premiere last week at a special ceremony at GFT. Click here to see photos of our red carpet premiere!

The funding for This Sucks: The Movie was made possible by Glasgow City Council’s Area Committee Grants.

You can watch the completed film online now on YouTube: This Sucks: The Movie

​Paul Macgregor, Learning Projects Coordinator at GFT remarked:

“It’s been exciting to see everyone’s hard work rewarded with such a charming and inspiring film, made by and for young children. Glasgow Film is dedicated to engaging young audiences with moving image technology and This Sucks: The Movie is perfect example of the creative projects that take place at GFT all year round. We’ve loved working with Starcatchers, Platform, Toad’s Caravan and we are extremely proud of all the wonderful children who took part.”

Matt Addicott, co-creator of This Sucks, also made a wonderful behind the scenes short about the making of the film: The Making of This Sucks: The Movie

We hope you enjoy the films as much we did making them! Click here to read more about the project.

‘Youth Radiothon’ @ Pulse Radio 98.4, East Renfrewshire


Did you ever want to be on air and run your own radio show?  This is your chance:  East Renfrewshire Council in conjunction with Pulse Radio 98.4 will celebrate young peoples’ engagement and voice by inviting pupils and youth clubs from the 12 to 14 June to participate in a Youth Radiothon.


http://ltsblogs.org.uk/globalcitizenship/2012/05/14/%e2%80%98youth-radiothon%e2%80%99-pulse-radio-98-4-east-renfrewshire/