No Ball Games The Replay, 2011

On Tour – Secondary/PRU/Colleges. We have successfully presented work designed for young people aged 13 – 18 with the acclaimed No Ball Games project over the last three years. This is something we’re really proud of and we want to build on this success by continuing to offer access to high quality theatre made with young people, by young people, for young people. We tour a professional team of actors and technicians who will work with your school to bring a full scale production into your school hall or drama studio.

This production is suitable for all – we provide workshops for all students to explore the themes within the piece, extension workshops for performing arts students, and bespoke programmes designed to support the experience and understanding of students with complex or behavioural needs.

KS3(Y8/9)/KS4 and Colleges.

On Tour – Primary/ MiddleWe provide a rich programme of work at the New Wolsey Theatre and the New Wolsey Studio for children and their families, and students and their schools to see and engage with. But we’re aware of the costs, as well as the popularity of the Theatre-In-Education team based at the Wolsey many years ago, and so we’re introducing a new strand of activity for the Creative Learning Team; a production created for Children available to tour into your school. We will tour a professional team of actors and technicians who will work with your school to bring a full scale work into your hall or drama studio.

This production is suitable for all students – we provide workshops for all students to explore the themes within the piece, extension workshops, and bespoke programmes designed to support the experience and understanding of students with complex or behavioural needs.

KS1/KS2 and KS3 (Year 7/8).

Storymaker‘Hello, I’m the storymaker. I love stories… do you love stories too? Can you tell me your favourite story?’ An actor/practitioner from the New Wolsey Theatre will come into school, and read a story to a class or group of students… but it’s more than Jackanory, because the storymaker will then work with the group to create their own story using imaginative play. The session will address listening, negotiation and communication skills, and complements the schools work in speaking and listening.

This event is suitable for all. KS1 and KS2.

Youth Perform! 2010

Youth Perform! This is your chance to give a class of students from your school the chance to perform on the New Wolsey Stage. Every year we set a broad, accessible and engaging theme for students and staff to respond to through movement, text, dance and music. The performance is held together by two professional actors, who link the show together with sketches and scenes. Performed over 4 nights with 4 groups performing each night, this showcase event of local talent and the great work going on in schools attracts generous and supportive crowds and remains a fantastic event for all concerned.

This project is suitable for all ages and abilities with an interest in drama and performance.

KS1/KS2/KS3/KS4 and Colleges

Actors in the ClassroomProfessional actors from the New Wolsey Theatre led by a facilitator from the Creative Learning Team will work with a class and their teacher to explore a relevant text, theme or issue. Using performance, critical thinking, and group work this workshop is designed to give students a robust connection to what is being examined in an imaginative and interactive way. This could be an examination of the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet with students being given the opportunity to suggest and hear back a different emphasis or approach to the text, or a bully’s motivation being challenged by their victim, or even a figure from history.

This workshop is particularly suitable for Drama and English across the school, and can be also be used to explore cultural and social contexts in PSHE, history and geography.

KS1/KS2/KS3/KS4 and Colleges

Listened To…This project has become one of the most important parts of what we do here at the New Wolsey Theatre. Trained and experienced practitioners from the Creative Learning Team will work with a group of boys or girls from your school identified as being at risk of exclusion. The project is conducted in weekly sessions over 8 – 10 weeks, and includes discussion about their school experience, their behaviour, the background challenges and causes of their negative behaviour, the impact of their behaviour, as well as the journey to developing positive solutions and mechanisms for an improved experience in their education. It concludes with a performance by a professional actor for staff and/or students to discuss the impact of negative behaviour on the learning environment and through discussion develop positive recommendations for the management of these students and their behaviour.

This project has been designed to work with students in transition at Primary Level:

(Year 6 to 7), and with KS3 and KS4.

Raising AspirationsThis project complements your work with able, gifted and talented students, and can be used as enrichment across the school. Working with a small group of students for a series of 6 weekly workshops a practitioner from the Creative Learning Team will work with students using creative exercises to discover their passions, share their skills and celebrate their learning.

This project is suitable for students in transition with mixed abilities.

KS3/KS4 and Colleges.

Drama ClubTake a Creative Learning practitioner and add 15 – 30 students from your school, find them a space at lunch time or after school and give them six weeks to explore a theme, a story, a play or a technique and end with a presentation to friends, family and staff. It’s a really simple participatory project for all abilities and can be tailored to meet the needs of a variety of students. The Drama Club can be purchased in further units, to make up a year round provision. It’s informal learning at its best.

Suitable for all ages and ideal for children and young people with a passion for drama and performance.

KS1/KS2/KS3/KS4 and Colleges.

Your ProjectWe know that any menu can be limited for some and perfect for others and as we develop this offer over the next few years we want to ensure that every participating school gets the opportunity to shape the options for themselves. A week long project with a single practitioner and specific resources or the equivalent i.e. five days or ten sessions can be designed in partnership with you. There will be practical restrictions on what this can be, but the creative and imaginative possibilities are endless!

This project is limited by scale and cost – but we’re really happy to discuss anything and in whatever way we can make it happen.

KS1/KS2/KS3/KS4 and Colleges.

Play in a DayNeed I say more? Well just in case. There’s nothing new about a professional practitioner coming into school to work with a group of students and staff to create a play in a day, and because it works so well we’re offering just that. We’ll work within the parameters of your school day, beginning with an introduction to aims of the project, followed by games and exercises to develop the content for the play, a quick rehearsal, then a performance back to the school or year group, applause, tidy up, go home. Simple! This is a successful enrichment provision, and can be used as a part of the speaking and listening programme in school.

This project is suitable for English and Drama students, and for developing the self esteem of students lacking self-belief and confidence.

KS1/KS2/KS3 and performing arts students at KS4 and Colleges.

Industry DaysThis popular half-day session at the New Wolsey Theatre is designed to introduce students to theatre professionals and the industry, including a backstage tour and a practical workshop. Students will explore the professional aspects of running a theatre from the perspective of the Creative, Production, Administration and Customer Service teams.

The size of spaces that students will be toured into restricts groups to 15 - 20, but we can tour 2 separate groups (40 in total) and can increase numbers if more staff can be available. There are three versions of the Industry Day, one for Primary/Middle School age students, another for Secondary/College students, and a bespoke day designed for students with specific needs i.e. performing arts students or students with specific behavioural needs.

This workshop is suitable for all, and is particularly useful as an introduction to the theatre for English and Drama students, or business studies groups.

KS1/KS2/KS3/KS4 and Colleges.

Backstage TourSee more when you visit with a backstage tour of the New Wolsey Theatre including exploring absolutely everywhere the particular production in the theatre at the time will allow – this could include dressing rooms, the wings, under stage and above. It’s a fascinating way to add value to your students’ experience of coming to the theatre. The backstage tour format has also been used to provide the stimuli for speaking and listening exercises.

This event is suitable for all.

KS1/KS2/KS3/KS4 and Colleges.

PlaydaYSee the show, book the workshop. From this autumn the New Wolsey Theatre in partnership with the Colchester and Ipswich Museum Service will have a large workshop space based 5 minutes up the road from the theatre where we can offer workshops in the daytime that complement the experience of coming to the New Wolsey for up to 60 students at a time. The workshop will explore the story, issues and dramatisation of a particular production, and will be followed by the opportunity to see the performance.

These workshops complement the production being seen, and will be constructed around the particular needs of the students.

KS1/KS2/KS3/KS4 and Colleges.

WorkshopsOur Team of professional practitioners have a variety of training, careers and experiences, and have worked with a number of high profile artists and companies. Using the extensive skill-set within the team, and working with select freelance artists and practitioners we offer a running programme of the following workshops.

All sessions are designed to fit the length of your lesson, and work with students to learn new skills, or explore the work of key theatre makers and texts.

ShakespeareThe Basics / Themes / Specific Texts

Blood, Guts & FightingTheatrical Make Up / Armed Combat / Unarmed Combat

Revision – Set Drama Texts / Stanislavski / Brecht / Craig / Artaud

Theatre MakingText / Devising / Multi Media

Behind the ScenesSet Design / Stage Management

INSETWe understand the need to find ongoing professional development, but also the lack of time and capacity, and we recognise that you don’t need theatre educators imposing their particular slant. So we’re not going to offer the kind of INSET programme that suggests that we can replicate your practice. The benefit should be in finding the complementary values and approaches across all our practice.

Sessions will be offered around creative games and exercises, speaking and listening, and behaviour management in group work – this is our expertise, and the area through which we can meaningfully disseminate the skills, techniques and approaches we use.

Suitable for all staff at all levels.

KS1/KS2/KS3/KS4 and Colleges.

Creative Learning LoungeBased on the consultation we carried out this term we’re adapting and extending the Creative Learning Lounge. It will still be an informal opportunity for teachers to see a performance, have a bite to eat, network with other teachers and meet the Creative Learning team, but from September we’ll also include the opportunity for Partner Schools to share their experiences of Partner School activities with each other and us, and find out what’s on the menu for the following term and book it. Additionally, there will be short INSET style taster workshops on drama games, creative exercises, behaviour management or developing your own creative practice for those that want to participate. The Creative Learning Lounge will happen three times a year.

Discounted tickets‘Why don’t more teachers come to the theatre’ the marketing team says to us, and ‘why don’t they bring more students!’ Well the first answer is that many of you do, and the second is that we can’t do anything to stop you and your colleagues from being too tired at the end of a long day, or make you like going to the theatre when you don’t, but the one thing we can do is make it easier and more accessible. We’re still working out the detail of the Partner Schools ticket scheme but we know it will

include significant discounts to teachers to come without students, further group reductions and incentives for students to independently attend performances.

We’re brilliantWe really proud of what we do, and we’re dedicated to doing our very best to get that right. After three years of working with thousands and thousands of people we’ve learnt many things… we know what we do well, we know how to get the best out of a participant or a partnership and we’ll work our socks off to ensure that we meet your needs.

We really enjoy working with your studentsThe New Wolsey Theatre really likes children and young people. We pride ourselves on our welcome to all, and are at our happiest when we’re working with children and young people full of energy, imagination and challenge.

We want to work with youWorking closely in partnership with you gets the best results, not only for you and for us but most importantly for your students. Together we can do something important, we can provide a variety of ways to connect young people to the arts, across the curriculum, across ages, year groups and needs. And because we believe so strongly in the benefit this will bring to your school, and in the long term to our society, with the ongoing financial support of Suffolk County Council we’ve made sure that this is affordable to you.

If this all seems like something you want to be involved in then get in touch with Hassina Khan to discuss your involvement, and if you feel that you need this offer to change before you can take part then that’s even more of a reason to contact us.

Rob Salmon, Associate Director, and the Creative Learning Team

The offer10 schools:

Up to 9 creative learning activities (one from List 1 and two from List 2 per term)

Invitations for you and a colleague to 3 Creative Learning Lounges

£5 tickets for groups from your school for selected shows (plus 1 free adult ticket for every 10 students)

5 complimentary tickets for any show at the New Wolsey Theatre, subject to availability

The cost Primary / Middle schools: £1500 Secondary / Upper schools: £2000 Colleges / Academies: £3000 Pupil Referral Units: £1000 Small schools (fewer than 75 pupils): £750 (reduced offer of 3-6 activities per year)

Testing the pilot yearWe want to make sure this scheme is what schools want and need, so we will ask for your input throughout the year in the following areas:

Artistic quality of activities Curriculum fit / usefulness of activities Ideas and suggestions for new activities Quality of communication and administration

Value for money

We will also need monitoring data about the number, age and gender of participating students.

Enquiries, information and bookingsFurther information is available from anyone in the Creative Learning team: Rob, Laura and Debbie on 01473 295 930 or Partner Schools Coordinator, Hassina, on 07990 931 275

Bookings for all activities except £5 group tickets can be made through Debbie on 01473 295 930

Bookings for performances at the discounted rate of £5 should be made through Box Office on 01473 295 900