Hi all, it’s been a busy few weeks during which I have personally visited the majority of primary and secondary school in Middlesbrough, Stockton, and Redcar & Cleveland. New projects have been planned, and some have begun.

John E Batty Primary in Redcar has enjoyed the first half term of after school arts workshops. Club Creative will be working which each year group over the course of the school year, ensuring all pupils have the opportuntity to access after school creative activity.

Marton-cum-Grafton school near York has just finished 6 weeks of after school art club, with demand strong for the club to continue after half term. This is the first time Club Creative has worked in the school and we have enjoyed every minute.

Our partnership with Kilton Thorpe Special school continues to develop with weekly full day film making workshops every Friday. We can’t wait to see the finished results!

We continue to provide creative activity for the Main Project social clubs, and we begin weekly Short Breaks provision for children and young people with disabilities. Catering for all disabilities, this club is by direct referral via social workers only and is designed as respite care funded by the Aiming High for Disabled Children Fund.

Half term activity in Oakfields School in Middlesbrough signals the start of what we hope will be a significant and long lasting partnership with the school. Club Creative is providing film making, street dance and art sessions for a range of ages.

With cartoon clubs in Egglescliffe and St Mary’s schools underway,  art clubs and a Thornaby’s Got Talent club in Thornaby CoE Primary, an amazing project with East Coast Training to engage their young people with an artist to create a permanent piece of steel sculpture, Arty Parties planned with Tees Valley Leisure, and much more in the pipeline, it’s going to be a busy end to year!

That’s all for now.

Neil.

Club Creative is working in partnership with the Main Project to provide a regular Saturday Club for children and young people with disabilities. The service is by referral through a social worker only and will provide breaks for families of children and young people with a wide range of disabilities.

Club Creative would like to invite creative practitioners from the following disciplines to register their interest in providing 2hr sessions. The aim will be to engage the group effectively with creative activity and in the longer term to teach new creative skills and techniques. The most important requirement however will be to provide quality, engaging, participative creative sessions for a pan disability group.

Creative areas are as follows: Drama, Visual Arts, Film Making, Circus Skills, Drumming/percussion.

Because the exact nature and requirements of the group is unknown at this stage, it is likely that we will initially provide a range of taster sessions. Once we have feedback from the group, we will then book in up to 6 weeks of sessions in one particular activity.

The start date and location are currently still TBC but the Main Project are working hard to get everything confirmed and it is hoped that the Saturday Clubs will start within the next month. The location will be in the Teesside area. It is thought the clubs will run from 11am – 3pm, to include two different 2hr sessions.

If you are interested in being involved please register your interest here and include your name, details of past experience, the nature of the workshop you would offer, and of course your contact details.

As well as a fee for delivery, there will be training opportunities in how to deal with disabilities offered through the Main Project.

Step Up 7 in Pickering & Malton was a two week summer school for Y6 pupils held in their new secondary schools. Four creative workshops each day made for a fun packed two weeks with 12 Club Creative staff working each day.

In Saltburn artists Derek Mosey and Helen Gaunt created two large mosaics that are now hung in the main entrance and main corridor of the new school to welcome all vistitors. They look amazing. These pics are work in progress.

Hi all. All the summer activity is going incredibly well. There are still places on the ‘Shakin Shakespeare’ summer school next week so please get in touch if you are interested.

By tomorrow we will have worked with 400 children at the Step Up 7 Transition Days in Pickering & Malton. We’ve employed 4 artists, 8 assistants and a co-ordinator every day and a huge thanks goes out to them for all their hard work and enthusiasm. Look out for images and video of this fantastic multi arts summer school soon.

The workshops for Guisborough Police have been a huge success, enabling young people to engage with positive activity and learn new creative skills whilst helping to reduce the  instances of anti social behaviour. Graffiti Art has been the most popular to date!

Kilton Thorpe Special School arts summer school went really well with a wide range of workshops and activities. We look forward to resuming our excellent working relationship with film making workshops in September.

Workshops for Extended Schools in Great Ayton, Northallerton and Filey have been going OK, however numbers seemed low across the board in Filey and Northallerton. Extended Schools are looking into their publicity for next time.

Look out for news on Club Creative Merchandise coming soon!!

Neil

Lots of Club Creative activity happening this summer. Starting next week at Roseberry Primary School Great Ayton with a week of activity including circus skills, jewellery making, cartoon workshop, t-shirt design and African drumming.

We also have fantastic workshops through Extended Schools happening in Filey, Northallerton, and two weeks in Malton & Pickering where we are running the Step Up 7 Transition Days for Y6 kids who are moving up to the four secondary schools in September.

Guisbrorough Police have asked us to provide creative workshops for young people as part of an initiative to reduce anti social behaviour during the summer holidays.

We have a great mosaic project happening over a week in Saltburn Learning Campus. 20 pupils from the primary and secondary school will work together to produce a mosaic and a mural which will installed in the school entrance to welcome everyone in to the new term in September.

With a week long summer arts school in Kilton Thorpe Special School in Brotton and our own Club Creative Shakin Shakespeare drama school at Layfield Primary Yarm, it’s going to be a busy busy summer!

If you are interested in any of these activities please get in touch.

Please download the attached document advertising an opportunity at Kilton THorpe Special School in Brotton. Please contact the school directly. This is not a Club Creative position.

Thanks!

TEMP TEACHER ARTadvert

Club Creative requires 8 workshop assistants to take part in the Step Up 7 Transition Days summer school in Malton & Pickering, North Yorkshire. We also require an Event Co-ordinator who will have overall responsibility for the running of the Transition Days. The sessions will take place at 4 Secondary schools across 8 days from 9th – 20th Aug 2010.

There will be 4 artists delivering a varied creative programme to new Y7 children. Workshop Assistants will be required to support these sessions and the overall running of the Transition Days.

Interested parties must be CRB checked and be able to travel to the relevant location each day.

Click here for more details.

It seems like a while since I updated, so here’s a selection of what we have going on over the next few weeks:

Drama Skills after school club at Junction Farm Primary, Eaglescliffe got off to a great start with 21 children attending.

Cartoon Workshop after school club starts today!

Layfield Primary in Yarm are extended their Drama Club to run until the summer holidays. The Mural design club resumes in June.

Kirklevington Primary are starting African Mask making and Stage Combat after school sessions for parents and children in the next couple of weeks which is really exciting.

There are lots of amazing plans with The MAIN Project to provide creative activity for children with autism. Can’t say much at the moment but watch this space!

We are already planning Summer Schools with schools in Malton and Pickering, Kilton Thorpe Special School, Stockton and Redcar & Cleveland. Many of these activities can be accessed with the ME TOO Voucher scheme available to many families. This new scheme was piloted by Extended Schools in certain areas last year and is being rolled out nationwide from April 2010. They are available to primary and secondary pupils who would normally qualify for free school meals and other benefits.

There will be Whit Week activity in FIley, Eastfield, Scarborough and Redcar and Cleveland schools and hopefully Hartlepool as well.

There’s loads more stuff happening but I’ve run out of time so keep clicking back and remember – if you want creative activity in your school or community, just get in touch.

Loads of Club Creative stuff happening over Easter. Check with your school or Extended Schools team for venues and how to book on.

Eastfields, Scarborough:

T-shirt Tastic!

Date: Thursday 8^th April

10am-3pm 5yrs+

Customise your old t-shirts by cutting, shredding, and printing and turn them into something completely new and funky (and by recycling you are being good to the environment). Or turn it into something completely different like a bag, shorts or skirt! If you haven’t got an old t-shirt you can find cheap plain t-shirts for just £1 if you look carefully. Take your work home with you at the end of the day.

Kung Fu Dance

Date: Fri 9^th April

10am-3pm 7yrs+

Learn how to dance in a martial arts style inspired by films like House of Flying Daggers. Work on cool moves and then put them together in a routine. Share your work at the end of the day in a short performance for family and friends (please arrive at 2.45pm for the performance)

Easter Arts

Date: Tues 6^th April

10am-3pm 5yrs+

A new twist on classic Easter activities. Create your own bags, masks and decorations – an eggstravaganza of fun!

Street Dance

Date: Thursday 15^th April

10am-12pm 5-10yrs

1pm-3pm 11yrs+

So you think you can dance? Learn the funkiest moves around with our fantastic street dance tutor then perform what you have learned at the end of the session (please arrive 10 mins early for the performance). You don’t need any previous experience, just enthusiasm!

Circus Skills

Date: TBC

10am-3pm 7yrs+

All the fun of the circus brought to you! Learn juggling balls and scarves, diablo, spinning plates, balancing balls, unicycle and much more.

Play in a Day

Date: Weds 14^th April

10am-3pm 6yrs+

Put a play on from scratch in just one day! This fun activity will teach acting techniques and stage craft so that you can put on a short performance for family and friends at the end of the day (please arrive 15 mins early for the sharing)

Things are really taking off here at CC HQ. Quick updates on current projects:

Grangetown Youth Centre Commission – After receiving over fifty expressions of interest from all over the UK and Ireland, the young people have chosen David Parkinson to undertake the mural for the newly refurbished centre. David will travel across the the North East to meet the young people and draw up some sketches. then return shortly afterward complete the work. David style is illustrative and completely in tune with the young people’s vision for the artwork. Click here for examples of David’s work at is website. Thanks to all artists who expressed an interest.

Layfield Primary in Yarm are delighted with the drama and Graffiti workshops so have extended the graffiti after school club for another five weeks. Can’t wait to see the finished work!

Conyers School Health Awareness day was a huge success with four Club Creative tutors providing Kung Fu Dance and Stage Combat workshops. We have just started weekly Musical Theatre classes at the school and hope to develop a long term relationship.

Filey and Eastfields (Scarborough) half term activities went very well and we have been asked to provide lots of Easter activity. Expect T-shirt customisation, Easter Arts, Kung Fu Dance and Street dance at venues near you. Contact your extended schools co-ordinator for details or look out for the programmes.

Durham Lane and Junction Primary schools in Eaglescliffe are due to start Drama, Street Dance and Cartoon Workshop after school clubs in a couple of weeks time. These are new schools for Club Creative and we are really excited to be working with them.

Preston Primary drama club continues to be a success and the sharing event is only two weeks away! We have also been asked to provide drama practitioners for two and a half days next week to link in with the whole school Drama Focus week. We will work with each year group over half a day to improve communication skills through drama techniques.

There are loads more proejcts in the pipeline but this is already a rather lengthy post so I’ll update again soon.

Don’t forget, if your school, youth or community centre would like creative activity of any kind please do not hesitate to get in touch

Neil