Action Transport Theatre Previous School Projects
Parklands Power 2014
Funded by the Big Lottery and applied for and led by Parklands Primary School
This was a project designed to reduce anti social behaviour (particularly as it manifested in bullying and lateness), raise aspirations and improve community cohesion for pupils and their families. The school experience problems with children regularly arriving late to school. Many of the children come from difficult personal circumstances with little or no established daily routine. Parklands Power was designed to respond to these views, complementing the curricular work the school was already undertaking, but going beyond this to focus on the whole school community. The driving force behind the entire project and performance was that everything should come from the children’s imaginations and ideas, with the project providing a safe and structured way for them to express themselves. A key motivation for the school in engaging with this project was to improve the perception of the school, internally as well as externally. The whole school worked together to create a performance and a school song which was shared with parents, and performed at the feeder high school, the UCE Academy, in Ellesmere Port.
Stories Alive 2014
Funded by Clore Duffield, working with The Oaks, St Mary's of the Angels, William Stockton, Westminster, Parklands and St Saviours
The aim was to use live theatre and drama-led reading and writing activities to enhance local school children’s engagement with the original texts of at least three traditional European fairy tales so that they may develop a lifelong passion for imaginative reading and storytelling.
Initially the schools came to see the ATT Christmas show ‘The Pied Piper’. Artists Janys Chambers (storyteller) and Simon Adams (technician) then undertook a three day residency in each school. Each residency took a different folk story as its focus and children performed their own ‘radio play’ which was recorded and shared in an audio CD with accompanying printed booklet.
Classes then had two trips to Ellesmere Port Library. The first served as a familiarisation visit and the second launched the CD allowing participating children to hear one another’s performances.
The recordings and copies of the folk tales remain in Ellesmere Port Library for family, friends and the general public to enjoy.
Quality Hubs 2014-2015
Funded by Curious Minds, working with The Oaks and Cambridge Road Primary Schools.
This was an action research project which saw arts delivery in both schools, supporting each school’s ambitions in relation to ArtsMark.The Action Research Question (developed from one of the Quality Principles) was; How far and in what ways does engaging Yr3s in the Performing Arts inspire them to broaden their aspirations? Pupils from Year 3 were introduced to 5 different practitioners working in the performing arts (actor, writer, director, dancer and musician).In school they took part in workshops with them and reflected on the skills and qualities needed to succeed in each career. Through inspiration days at ATT’s base Whitby Hall, the children from both schools came together and were encouraged to share their insights in a creative format, taking the lead on developing their own learning. Children were taken through Arts Award ‘Discover’ and introduced to the arts award framework as an aspirational way of continuing their engagement with performing arts throughout their education. Arts CPD was delivered for staff supporting cross curriculum arts activity and drama provision in school. This allowed staff to share ideas and explore different ways of embedding creativity in their classrooms. This went on to help both schools with their Arts Mark aspirations
Cabinet of Curiosities 2016
Funded by Curious Minds
Working with Nantwich Museum and Mottram St Andrew Academy, Macclesfield. The project aimed to bring together creative writing workshops inspired by the collections and experiences available at Nantwich Museum to boost children’s creative writing.
For more information please contact Jessica Egan, Project Manager, Action Transport Theatre on 0151 357 2120 or
www.actiontransporttheatre.org