Young Vic announce INNOVATE
A radical theatre-in-education programme
in the local boroughs of Lambeth and Southwark
Young Vic Taking Part today announces INNOVATE, a radical, two-year theatre-in-education programme. Working in the theatre’s local boroughs of Lambeth and Southwark, this in-depth project is a collaboration between the YV Taking Part team, two partner schools, six project associates – multidisciplinary artists with a passion for reforming the education sector – and an advisory panel of educational and cultural experts.
Born out of the legacy of educational theorists Dorothy Heathcoate and Ken Robinson, the Taking Part team will embark on a journey to centre using the arts as a pedagogical tool with South Bank University Academy and Dunraven School. Working with teachers from the schools over two years, the six INNOVATE project associates will embed themselves in the Year 7 and 8 curricula, working with teachers and students to discover how the arts can enable students to engage, learn and thrive across all subjects.
INNOVATE will shape the way the Young Vic uses its resources to support local schools, directly impacting the lives of students in Lambeth and Southwark. More broadly, it will explore the potential for knowledge exchange and learning approaches between arts organisations and local learning centres, and in doing so interrogate the civic responsibility of artists and arts organisations in education.
The INNOVATE project associates are Mikey Bharj, Jordana Golbourn, Lerato Islam, Sheryl Malcolm, Joseph Prestwich and Amy Robinson. The advisory panel – a guiding group offering advice and expertise, and ensuring the project achieves its aims – are Sylvan Baker, Darren Chetty, Kay Rufai, Dr Javeria K. Shah, Lavinya Stennett and Dr Vicky Storey.
Shereen Jasmin Phillips, Director of Taking Part, said: “INNOVATE was born out of a simple question – ‘how do we make children excited to learn?’ We’ve seen videos of classrooms using rap lyrics to memorise periodic tables and teachers using dance choreography to explain coding and algorithms. These unexpected, creative approaches to learning often have a major impact on the students. We begin this process at a point when funding for arts subjects is at an all-time low, ruthlessly cut over the past decades and often perceived as a ‘softer’ choice than STEM subjects. I hope we demonstrate through INNOVATE that we need MORE, rather than less arts. Our aim is to radically centre creative ways of teaching subjects. I am so inspired by the team of artists, teachers, advisors and producers who we have assembled to deliver this project, which is epic in scope and aspiration. As I look ahead, I imagine a world in which every UK arts organisation could be partnered with a local place of learning to help future generations thrive in their school lives.”
Rebecca Thomas, Head of Drama and Hannah Dalton, Assistant Vice Principal, from University Academy of Engineering South Bank University Academy, said: “We are delighted that the South Bank University Academy has been selected to partner with the Young Vic in this innovative project. We look forward to collaborating on developing creative and engaging lessons with the theatre team. We are excited about the prospect of enhancing creativity across the whole curriculum as it will further our efforts to embed the importance of the arts.”
Dunraven School, said: “We are thrilled to be chosen to participate in the project and look forward to a productive and innovative partnership with the Young Vic. Dunraven always strives for ‘Excellence for All’ and we are excited to see how our work and planning with the artists can support our curriculum principles and how our students understand the stages of learning. As a school where the arts truly matter, we look forward to discovering and sharing with others what can be achieved when artists, teachers and students bring their talents together.”
Throughout INNOVATE, the Young Vic will be analysing and measuring the impact of the collaboration through a variety of means. Whilst traditional measures, such as exam grades, will be taken into account, the project will also use measures such as student happiness and engagement levels. Findings will be published and made available for educational organisations.
INNOVATE is supported by The Rix-Thompson-Rothenberg Foundation.