12 Sep Voices for the Future
Six Haringey Schools and partnership of local arts organisations awarded £144,000 by Paul Hamlyn Foundation for anti-racism arts project
Voice for the Future
Launch date September 2022
Voices for the Future aims to embed creativity and anti-racist practice in six primary schools in Haringey through teacher development. Led by Alexandra Primary School, Collage Arts and Haringey Creates, the project was awarded a total of £144,882 and will run over two years.
An additional five primary schools in Haringey will take part in the project: Rokesly Junior School, Earlsmead, Lancasterian, The Willow and West Green Primary school.
The partnership and collaboration will explore ways in which artists and teachers can work together to develop an antiracist led, arts-based approach to teaching and learning. It will explore how this can approach could help address the gap in global majority children’s attainment in Haringey. The project aims to provide teachers with the skills and confidence to deliver inclusive arts-based learning across the curriculum.
Underpinned by a focus on care and wellbeing, artist practitioners and teachers will co- create and embed a multi-disciplinary arts-based approach to teaching and learning with a particular focus on improving oracy and diversifying the curriculum.
The project was developed following a successful partnership between Alexandra Primary school and Collage Arts who took part in Haringey Creates’ networking programme for schools and arts organisations.
Voices for the Future will see drama, dance practitioners and visual artists from Collage Arts partner with teachers from each of the primary schools for the duration of the two-year project. Working on average once a week with their teacher partners over the first year, the artists will bring a wealth of new skills and knowledge and help extend the breadth and depth of curriculum reference materials. At the same time the artists will learn from the teachers and the pupils to enrich their practice.
As the year goes on, the teachers supported by the artists will demonstrate their learning in the development of an end of year showcase. This process will be repeated again in the second year with less support from the artists enabling the teacher and their colleagues to lead on the creative elements, working towards a final grand celebration, bringing all six schools together to share learning and practice, hosted by Alexandra Palace.
Voices for the Future will test out how creativity can help to support the embedding of anti-racist practice, leading to greater confidence in teachers to approach each of their subjects in new, engaging, and inclusive ways.
Manjit Dulay, Former Head Teacher at Alexandra Primary School and project Co-founder of Project said:
“We are delighted to be the lead school in this two-year project, Voices for the Future.’ It builds on our belief that creative arts enhance the personal development and wellbeing of each child. We recognise the opportunity that this funding provides to develop teachers, their practice and skill set by working with an artist in residence for two years. This will positively impact the whole school community.”
Steve Medlin, Artistic Director said: “We are very excited to be part of the partnership delivering this initiative across many primary schools in the borough. Working across the next two years we expect this programme to be transformative in placing high quality arts education into our young people’s daily experience.”
Natalia Cid Garcia, strategic group lead, Haringey Creates comments: “Haringey Creates is thrilled to support the delivery of Voices for the Future. We are particularly pleased that this project has its roots in our Creative Conversations Buddying programme, which we continue to deliver. This is an incredible opportunity for all the schools involved and we look forward to sharing the learning and outcomes with all teachers from across the borough.”
For more information contact:
Alexandra Primary School:
Creative arts lead: Philippa Kennedy pkennedy@alexprimary.haringey.sch.uk
Collage Arts:
Project co-ordinator Andry Moustras andry@collage-arts.org
Haringey Creates:
Digital and Communications Lead: Maya Cardwell maya.cardwell@haringeyeducationpartnership.co.uk
About Alexandra Primary School
Alexandra is a thriving two form entry primary school. We are very lucky to have a strong and dedicated staff group who are passionate about the quality of the education they provide and proud of our diverse community. Alexandra Primary School’s vision is for all children to aspire, achieve and enjoy.
https://www.alexandraprimaryschool.co.uk/
About Collage Arts
Collage Arts is a leading arts development, training and creative regeneration charity based in heart of Haringey’s Cultural Quarter. For over 37 years, the organisation has created opportunities for greater access and participation in the arts and creative industries for the whole community through a range of skills and enterprise programmes, support services, arts development and heritage projects, facilities and resources.
Collage Arts seeks to provide greater access and support to under-represented sections of the community including: economically inactive young people, people of colour, women, people with disabilities, young people leaving care, LGBTQ+ communities and ex-offenders, by offering skills, experience and opportunities in creative and digital media, film, music, photography, performing arts and visual arts, which can lead onto better career progression routes in further and higher education, employment and entrepreneurship.
About Haringey Creates
Haringey Creates is the London Borough o Haringey’s Cultural Education Partnership, one of over 100 partnerships across the country. Local Cultural Education Partnerships (LCEPs) support children and young people to fulfil their creative potential and access high-quality cultural experiences where they live, where they go to school, and where they spend their free time.
Haringey Creates works to ensure all children and young people in Haringey have access to creative education and opportunities. Haringey Creates works closely with schools and alternative provisions, creative and cultural organisations and practitioners throughout Haringey. The aims of Haringey Creates is to increase access to arts and culture with an emphasis on fairness, help to narrow gaps in educational attainment and work with young people to develop agency and improve wellbeing.
Paul Hamlyn Foundation
Paul Hamlyn Foundation was established by Paul Hamlyn in 1987. He died in 2001 and left most of his estate to the Foundation, creating one of the largest independent grant-making foundations in the UK.
PHF use their resources to support social change, working towards a just and equitable society in which everyone, especially young people, can realise their full potential and enjoy fulfilling and creative lives.
Paul Hamlyn Foundation Teacher Development Fund
The purpose of the Teacher Development Fund is to support delivery of effective arts-based teaching and learning opportunities in the primary classroom, and to embed learning through the arts in the curriculum. It aims to do this through supporting teachers and school leaders to develop the necessary skills, knowledge, confidence and experience.
The Teacher Development Fund prioritise applications which support pupils experiencing systemic inequity and disadvantage. The Teacher Development Fund supports applications which develop learning through the arts. Partnership is a key principle of the Fund. PHF prioritise partnerships which demonstrate co-construction of content; have joint inquiry at their heart; and in which all those involved are positioned as learners within the partnership.
https://www.phf.org.uk/funds/tdf/