Workshops in schools…
Peculiar Productions can offer exciting and challenging educational experiences to young people of all ages. Learning through the arts while having fun can offer different ways for children to explore the curriculum.
We offer one off workshops, whole or half days, short projects based on one or two days a week for up to half a term and long term projects. Each topic can be a combination of music, dance and drama or an isolated art form.
What’s on offer?...
We are able to offer a wide variety of topics and can cater for individual schools' requests. If you would like your children or students to experience something special, then please contact us for availability and further information. Within our Peculiar Family we have specialists who cover a variety of art forms including music, dance and drama, a puppeteer, a capoeira specialist, a circus skills tutor, visual artists, contemporary and street dancers plus tutors who specialise in their own field.
Below are some examples of topics already covered but remember, we can design workshops around any theme required.
KS 1 and 2
- Animal magic
- Seasons
- Traditional stories
- Roald Dahl - general or specific stories
- Around the world trip stopping off at any destination
- Myths and legends
- Boogie on down Boudicca
- Shakespeare shorts - any Shakespeare play
- Junk Funk - stomp-based workshops
- World War II
- Terrible Tudors
Secondary and beyond
- African song, dance and music
- Brazilian capoeira experience
- PSHE/citizenship through puppetry
- Inspiring boys to dance
- Physical theatre and devising workshops
- Opera Antics or Musical Mayhem
General topics catered for any key stage
- Singing workshops for all ages and styles
- Inspiring boys to dance
- Has your school got rhythm?
- Improving literacy and numeracy through the arts (scroll down to see the Trailblazer Project)
- Anti-bullying
- We can cover any subject from the PSHE/citizenship curriculum including SEAL topics through any arts medium, or combined.
Feedback from some one-off workshops
Roald Dahl drama and movement workshop - two days
The school chose three Roald Dahl stories. The children physically explored the characteristics of individual characters through movement and vocalisation. This was followed by devising a short performance piece to show to the rest of the school based on the characters they had explored.
“It was fantastic. The children enjoyed the workshops and really understood the characters they were trying to portray. We’ll be using the performance piece for the end of year assembly for parents. Thanks for a great experience.”
(Head of Year 2)
Captain Noah and his floating zoo - 10 day project involving 6 schools and 300 children
Individual schools received singing workshops with one massed rehearsal culminating in a performance at Bedford Corn Exchange in front of 500 people. Some schools used Noah as their cross curricular theme for the half term the project took place.
“We loved it – all went smoothly and it was so dynamic. We went out on a coach to go to swimming lessons today and the children were still singing Noah songs.”
(Head teacher)
“All staff involved (and pupils!) thoroughly enjoyed the experience. We are looking forward to applying ideas and techniques to our work in school.”
(Deputy Head)
Multi-cultural dance workshop – one day
Each year group received a 45 minute dance workshop in the style of their choice, putting together a short piece of choreography. The whole school covered Asian, African, Brazilian Samba and American Line Dancing. Assembly at the end of the day was a sharing of their ‘moves’.
“All the children from reception through to year 4 participated enthusiastically and under the excellent instruction were able to perform to the rest of the school at the end of the day. It was lovely to see the children ‘shine’ and we have been able to follow up with the dance routines to enhance the children’s learning. Thank you!”
JUNK FUNK based on the continents – one day
A day of music and movement workshops based on the different rhythms and dance styles from around the world. This work was shared with the rest of the school at the end of the day.
“We had a great day. A whole day of doing something very different was brilliant.”
Physical theatre workshop for A-Level students – two days
An exploration of how to interpret a painting as a starting point for devising a piece of theatre, with an emphasis on being experimental, physical and thinking ‘outside the box’.
“I enjoyed the workshop a great deal, I think it gave us the opportunity to bond as a group whilst learning very helpful tools to improve our performance”
“I think that it improved the unity of our class and we all trust each other a lot more now”
“It was good, fun, useful and well worth doing!”
(A level students)
Transition and Intervention Trailblazer Project
Peculiar Productions has been employed since April 2008 by the Marsh Farm Consortium, Luton, to provide 'Performing Arts Workshops' across the Consortium schools with a view to improving 'Speaking and Listening' skills. The workshops are designed specifically to the needs and requirements of each individual school with the outcomes being monitored and assessed by Peculiar Productions, the Transition Manager and the schools themselves.
The schools involved are Gill Blowers Nursery, Butterflies Nursery, Waulud Primary School, Whitefield Infants School and Whitefield Juniors School. This is an ongoing project and due to the success of the first term and a half it has been confirmed that the project will definitely continue and grow until July 2010.
‘The children have grown in confidence. They enjoy sharing their experiences and also take them back into their story telling and role play.’
(Deputy Head teacher and Reception teacher)
‘The children’s listening and speaking skills have improved…they are now more likely to respond with a relevant answer and some will question appropriately…some of the quieter more passive children have shown more wiling since this extra input…I have seen evidence of the effect the input has had on the children whilst they have been free playing.’
(Nursery teacher)
‘A fantastic project which the children have all enjoyed doing and staff have a fab role model to learn from and use throughout the week.’
‘Thanks again for inspiring our children, it’s amazing how much different perspective can touch different children and another reason for providing this resource especially for children of this age.’
(Nursery teacher)
