British Museum Supplementary Schools project; photo Benedict Johnson
Engaging young people
Through the company’s learning strand, we aim to empower children and young people aged 0-19 to respond to the world around them through movement.
This includes:
delivering 'pop-up' workshops at specific sites that encourage children and families to engage with those spaces more playfully,
collaborating with community groups to shape their own responses to their local history,
mentoring young choreographers,
working with partners to research and advocate for an arts-based learning approach to teaching the primary school curriculum. Specifically, we work with children aged 4-11 and their teachers to develop their attitude to, engagement with and understanding of curriculum subjects (including maths, literacy, history and science) as well as their capacity to work confidently, creatively and expressively, by encouraging them to bring dance and movement into their learning every day.
We have extensive experience delivering dance participation activities and have worked in a variety of settings including primary schools across the country and specific sites such as the British Museum, Tate Britain, Colchester and Ipswich Museums, Dulwich Picture Gallery and Chester Zoo.
Our dance participation activities can include one-off sessions, themed dance days/weeks, choreographic intensives and term-long programmes of work for example. We enable children and young people to:
take part in healthy, high quality dance activity and to have fun doing it
develop and perform their own creative dance work
build confidence
be inspired by professional artists
participate in discussion about what they are doing
work individually and in small groups
work in an interdisciplinary way, integrating other strands of the curriculum where appropriate
Policy documents including our Safeguarding Policy, evidence of DBS checks, risk assessments and evidence of Public Liability Insurance are available on request.
Amazing, really amazing – fantastic for the children, brought their personalities out and allowed them to be who they are. There should be more of it in schools.
Teacher feedback from workshop at the Beaney Museum, Canterbury,
There are some people in the group who I wouldn’t have believed could do that.
Teacher feedback from workshop at the Beaney Museum, Canterbury,
Brilliant! Great to have the professional dancers to work with the children – inspiring!
Thank you for opening our minds to new ideas and perspectives.
Teacher feedback from North Scarle Primary School,
The two sessions have been fabulous. The class have been really engaged and excited about working with the company. Knowing they are part of the creative process has really excited and pleased them. I feel this has been a good experience for the boys who wouldn’t necessarily participate in dance. Having a male dancer present has also supported that.
Teacher feedback from St Andrew's Primary School, Leasingham,
I would definitely use the ideas I have seen from Katie in my future dance planning. It has shown music doesn’t necessarily have to be the starting point, but an artefact or a picture can be.
Teacher feedback from Monks Abbey Primary School,
The children used your input as a base for performances in a group that they then performed for the school and parents. The results were very impressive - thank you!
Teacher feedback from Terrington St Clement Community School,
Excellent teaching strategies...excellent relationships with the children. Very inspirational.
Teacher feedback from Eye Primary School,
Very inclusive - all children tackle it and perform at their own level.
