My journey as an intern with BEEE Creative!
December 18, 2023
“And then they…”
July 2, 2024LEAP – Learn Engage Aspire Perform – is BEEE Creative’s new dance and digital project that focuses on creative exploration and co-creation.
The project, funded by Paul Hamlyn Foundation, enables pupils and teachers to try a range of dance, arts and technology approaches alongside professional artists / creatives, to become co-creators of artistic outputs. LEAP offers experiences of dance and movement creation in animation, photography, film, augmented reality, music and installation.
We’re halfway through delivering year 1 of LEAP. The artist team continue to deliver as artists-in-residence at the seven schools taking part – dance artists visiting once a week, supported by tech artists visiting once every half term.
Examples of impact the project is having on pupils and teachers in the schools, continues to be fed back:
- Pupils are talking about the project long after completing each scheme of work, wanting to do and engage more with the apps and movement.
- Pupils not usually enthused by dance, are thriving in an environment of exploration and creative expression. Stars of the week are being awarded to those that may not normally receive them and is a wonderful celebration for teachers too!
- Teachers feel supported and more prepared, with access to overviews of the schemes of work, which help to prepare for pupil questions and their own learning.
This half term, we were delighted to share a snippet of insight in to the project in action, with our funder, Paul Hamlyn Foundation. A representative of the foundation joined a session at Parkside Community Primary School.
Photo Credit: Stewart Baxter
Photo Credit: Sam Ivin
The next important phase of the project, is to equip the teachers at each school, with the confidence and resources needed to prepare them for delivery in year 2. They are generously supporting us with knowledge and insight in to what these resources look like, so that BEEE Creative can ensure they are relevant and most useful. Teachers are committed and enthusiastic for being arts ambassadors in their school, working to embed LEAP schemes of work in their curriculum, whilst enriching their teaching approaches with new dance and digital, as well as co-creation skills.
Stay tuned for our next blog, where we look to the future of LEAP, with reflections from our artist team on year 1, as well as continued teacher CPD ahead of year 2.
The artistic content of LEAP has been developed in collaboration with makeAMPLIFY, Hinterland Creative, Controlled Frenzy, Flicker Mill, Tom Hobden, Sam Ivin Photography and Hannah Delaney Dance. Delivery in schools will be led by Rebecca Benford, Claire Hackston, Michael Joseph and Hannah Pickett.
Here are the project schools and the schemes of work they’ve experienced in Spring 2024. We are delighted to be working with:
- Brickhill Primary School (Bedford) – Dance & Photography
- Linden Academy (Luton) – Dance & Film and Dance & AR
- Parkside Community Primary School (Borehamwood) – Dance & AR and Dance & Photography
- Putnoe Primary School (Bedford) – Dance & Music and Dance & AR
- Sarratt CofE Primary School (Sarratt) – Dance & Animation
- Scott Primary School (Bedford) – Dance & Music and Dance & Film
- St Philip Howard Catholic Primary School (Hatfield) – Dance & Installation and Dance & Music
Logo Design Credit: Thea King-Woodward
