Clay is a fantastic material for children to use. It’s easy to manipulate, can be used to enhance subjects across the curriculum and the finished pieces can last thousands of years!

Local potter, Sam Paechter, has been using clay in Leeds schools since 1995. During that time, he’s worked with children to produce thousands of pieces of work, ranging from small models, pots and tiles to large communal pieces like the many clay murals and signs which adorn the walls of schools around the city.

Possible workshops can include:

• Ancient Potter: Children will make their own Greek, Roman or Bronze Age pot
• Brilliant Bayeux: Children will create their own clay model of an archer of foot soldier from the Bayeux Tapestry.
• Creature of the Rainforest: Children will study the forms of animals to create their own clay model of rainforest creatures.
• Minibeast Menagerie: Children will study the forms of insects and other small animals and work in small groups to create their own minibeast models.

The workshops include firing. To find out more about any of these workshops, or to discuss something bespoke for your school, including staff training, please contact Sam Paechter by email: sam@boffinprojects.co.uk or phone: 07939 077 036

Children, Allerton Bywater Primary

It was perfect. Just what the children needed. We’re so glad we were able to get you in. 
Headteacher, Highfields Primary

Alive and Kicking are a practical, hands on theatre company designed to help schools extend their creativity with tailor made, tried and tested dramas that reach across the curriculum and beyond.

They offer workshops to support and animate class reading materials, history and literacy based drama from Early Years Foundation Stage to Year 6, bringing the culture and mythologies of the past to life through adventurous drama, role-play, story making and art.

Some of the huge range of workshops are below:

• Frederick the Fisherman From Filey: younger pupils rescue Frederick from disaster through poetry, art, music, dance and story making. (EY, KS1)
• The Museum Of Untold Stories: pupils and the drama practitioners work together to  support the children to become a crucible for story making and story telling. (KS1, KS2)
• Where The Heart Is: family groups gather to record special family moments. (KS1, KS2)
• The Seven Hunters: an interactive drama based on a real life mystery. (upper KS2)
• Open For Christmas: a special production for the festive season! (EY, KS1, KS2)

For further information and to see the full offer from Alive and Kicking, please visit their website or contact John Mee by email aliveandkicking@ntlworld.com or by phone 0113 295 8190 and 07775 782603.

1. The Smartest Giant in Town Workshop, based on the book by Julia Donaldson

In the town in our story there are humans, animals who live as humans – they wear clothes, drive cars and can speak – and then there are giants. The giants can’t help but cause all kinds of destruction in the human-sized town (it’s not their fault that they can’t reach into the shops without breaking the tiny door frames) and the humans have no patience or sympathy for the giants’ predicament. How will they ever learn to live peacefully side by side?

In this practical session, the pupils take on the roles of the humans and the giants to support their understanding of their points of view.  Facilitated by Pavla (also in role), the pupils work together to present their argument, as humans and giants, to the Mayor of the town. This workshop focuses on preconceptions and tolerance by listening to and interrogating different perspectives.

         2. Stirring up a story: teacher CPD and support

This is an opportunity for teachers to create participatory lessons alongside a drama specialist, to bring a text / picture book to life with their pupils
Using a story book of your choice, work with Pavla, to explore the story’s characters, settings and themes and discover new ways for your class to connect with them.
Two teachers from the same year group (or same key stage if one form entry) work together with Pavla to weave drama into their next half term’s planning. The teachers then deliver the drama input themselves through carefully designed and structured lessons involving both facilitation and teacher-in-role.

For further information about either of these opportunities, please contact Pavla Beier by email: pavlabeier1@gmail.com

This workshop will introduce pupils to the world of theatre, giving them an insight into the backstage skills and jobs essential for any production.   Pupils will explore a range of props and leatherwork items before creating their own magician’s bag or Second World War map pouch.   These workshops covers D&T National Curriculum requirements.

During the session, pupils will:

• Create their own magician’s bag (complete with magic trick!) or map pouch;
• Apply their mathematical knowledge of nets to create a 3D object;
• Develop their practical and creative skills, using a range of materials;
• Make an informed choice regarding the best material for the bag/pouch (taking environmental considerations into account);
• Explore the range of creative career opportunities within the arts.

For further information, please contact Zoe by email:   bydeckleandhide@gmail.com

Poetry Slam Championship Days

This workshop is designed to engage larger groups (delivery can be divided into morning or afternoon sessions for up to 75 participants in each.) Pupils are introduced to slam poetry and explore the role that poetry plays in popular culture. Working in teams, pupils write, perform and compete against each other in ‘rhyme battles’ on popular themes such as identity, crime, transition, anti-bullying – or subject topics such as Romeo and Juliet or Volcanoes. The day ends in an X factor style showcase, in which teachers become judges and the whole school can be invited to watch.

Wellness Workshops

These workshops were designed to address the growing need for children to develop skills to help manage their own mental health. Each of the 90-minute workshops (there are five to choose from) combine a wellness practice with a complementary creative writing craft skill, so that self-care and literacy skills are developed simultaneously. Each session builds towards a different poem.

Andy can deliver workshops face to face or virtually.   For more information, please visit his website or email andycravengriffiths@gmail.com

Pupils will begin the day looking at drawings and developing their understanding the circumstances in which the fire started and spread so quickly through the seventeenth century capital. They will then make their own London street, complete with St Pauls Cathedral as the centrepiece. In the afternoon, pupils will experience the sights, sounds and smells of a real fire as they watch it start from a spark in the bakery and spread through their constructed city. Pupils will consider the impact of wind and water on the fire and the aftermath of the devastation on the city. The activity will help develop first-hand experience of fire as well as a practical and valuable understanding of fire safety. The activity will be led by one of Get Out More’s qualified and experienced forest school practitioners with considerable experience of fires, who will ensure strict safety procedures are followed and pupils can safely enjoy the spectacle. This is a full day programme for one class of 30 pupils, which can be modified to accommodate 2 classes if required.

If you have questions about the session or to book, please contact Annie Berrington at Get Out More on 07974 935105 or info@getoutmorecic.co.uk

Annie Berrington believes we all need to get out more, so founded Get Out More CIC; a social enterprise on a mission to help people engage with nature to feel better in mind and body. A qualified and experienced forest school practitioner, she and her team work on nature-based outdoor learning, creative and wellbeing programmes with schools, nurseries and groups across Yorkshire, using the outdoors as a tool to develop learning, motivation, social skills and mental wellbeing. She offers bespoke sessions to meet school needs including ideas, skills and confidence in working outdoors for staff.

Schools can access the following:
Workshops

• Fairy Tales and Dragons – Story telling interactive workshop
• The Magic of Carnival – Interactive Workshop

Shows

• The Princess of The Rain Forest: followed by a talk showing the lovely puppets and props from the show
• The Boy Who Found His Smile: followed by a talk showing the lovely puppets and props from the show

For further information about each of these opportunities, please visit the Cusan Theatre website or contact Tanya by email tancusan@yahoo.com

The idea behind #foundfiction is simple: writers send them short stories, which they print out, fold into envelopes marked READ ME, and leave in public spaces for people to find. When someone stumbles upon a piece of #foundfiction, they’re invited to share their experience on social media under the hashtag #foundfiction. Hiding and finding stories is a great way to excite young people in writing, reading and being inspired by the world around them!

With this workshop, they are bringing the #foundfiction concept to the classroom for upper KS2 pupils. The workshop will involve:
1. Introduction to #foundfiction, sharing  how  the project was founded, how it has grown across the world, and what it says about the nature of inspiration: that stories exist everywhere – not just in a bookshop or a library, but everywhere you are.
2. Writing exercises. A quick-fire session using creative writing templates which help pupils create stories at speed. They will focus on time and place, encouraging the pupils to write stories set in areas and people in their community they know well.
3. Packaging the stories. They will print the stories and get the pupils to fold them into envelopes, which they’ll  brand with an FF in red paint. At the bottom of each story, the person finding it will be encouraged to share their experiences to social media using the #foundfiction hashtag.
4. Mapping the distribution. While the paint is drying, they will use a map of the local area to brainstorm the best places to leave the #foundfiction envelopes, based on the pupils’ knowledge of their community. This will get the pupils thinking about who might find the story and what it might mean to them, building empathy skills.
5. Distributing the stories. Each pupil will go home with a bundle of their own stories, which they will distribute in the area of their community where they’ve set their story. This will give them a memento of the day and reaffirm that inspiration exists in everyday places.
6. Parental involvement. With the school’s support, they will encourage parents to get involved in this project by helping with the distributing and sharing images online if appropriate.

#foundfiction work with organisations small and large to inspire, empower and activate children and adults of all ages. It’s mission is to give people a creative vision that helps them find stories wherever they are – sharpening their skills, improving their wellbeing and transcending their experience of the world around them.

This workshop is led by Steve Clarkson, founder of #foundfiction and an award-winning author, speaker and spoken word performer. To find out more about this workshop, please contact Steve by email: fictionfound@gmail.com

Anthony Haddon is a freelance Theatre Director. Previously, he was Artistic Director of Theatre Company Blah Blah Blah in Leeds, specialising in theatre for children and young people for thirty years. He currently works in the arts and education field with partners such as Opera North and Leeds Playhouse, as well as creating children’s shows for international touring with Theaterhaus Ensemble in Frankfurt Germany.

For further information about this workshop or to find out more about how to use drama in the classroom, please contact Anthony by email: ashaddon@gmail.com

These one day den building workshops are designed for one, two or three classes (approx. 30 pupils per class) from KS1 and KS2. The activities take place outdoors, with the pupils working together in teams to design and build a den.  The den building process will enable your pupils to develop their team work, organisational and communication skills. The workshops can be adapted to the school environment and current topics.

Chris will tailor the theme of the den building to suit the area of the curriculum that the children are learning about.  In the past this has included: Knights and Castles, Stone Age Settlements, a den ‘Dome Maths Challenge’, Outdoor Survival, Geography topics and even building dens to create a space for storytelling.   However, this is not a finite list and Chris can accommodate most topics.

To find out more, please email Chris on info@denbuilding.co.uk