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Workshops

Summer and Autumn Terms 2024

Our Participation programme runs across the year and we work with people of all ages, schools, colleges and community groups, offering the chance to get involved in and be inspired by the arts.
The purpose of this work is to offer high quality creative opportunities alongside our performances. We work with a wide range of fantastic artists and companies based in the north of England, across the school year. Some workshops are also led by visiting touring artists or companies from the Performance programme. 
 

New for 2024 – 25

From Autumn Term we can also offer workshops from other Industry creative professionals, such as Music production, Theatre Stage Production, Game Design, Filmmaking, Props and Costume, Lighting & Sound Design, Audio and Voice work, suitable for KS3 – 5 students, or students considering work experience options, Duke of Edinburgh, Arts Awards, or our Young Promoters scheme.

Across the last year Participate has worked with diverse artists bringing Dance, Theatre, Creative Writing and Storytelling, Poetry and Spoken Word, Music in many styles, Puppetry, Animation and Circus workshops to rural schools and community groups; Moving Arts Parts, Georgia Hill, Life and Limb Puppets, Ella Jarman – Pinto, Kate Halsall, Supriya Nagarajan, Touki, Donnelley and South, Kema Sikazwe, Louise Jordan, EXAUDI, Rowan McCabe, Oliver Sykes, Sarah Crutwell, Gav Cross, Robin Webb, Eliot Smith Dance, Meta4Dance, Yvonne Battle – Felton, Virpi Kettu have all delivered over 80 workshops with Highlights, across Cumbria, County Durham and Northumberland.

Get in touch

If you are a School or Community Group and would like to explore workshop activities and enquire about costs, please contact Kate Halsall (Creative Engagement Officer) at [email protected] to find out more.

All Year Round Workshops 2023 – 24 Artists include:

Highlights Young Promoter scheme – Learn about different artforms, being an artist and the many other roles you could have, by working in the Arts and Creative Industries. Delivered by Creative Engagement facilitators. We offer this opportunity to 12 – 25 year olds but it is also available to Year 6 classes, as a bespoke offer. 

Moving Parts Arts – puppetry workshops for primary, secondary, and adult groups. Moving Parts Arts is based in Newcastle Upon Tyne and offers all kinds of innovative workshops in puppetry making and storytelling, including their workshop around the story of the Lambton Worm – a popular County Durham legend.

Robin Webb – Animation/film workshops – Robin is based in the North East and is firmly committed to the principal that making animation and films can be an extraordinary tool for learning and being creative through participation and that everybody has the potential to develop personal expression through the art of moving image. 

Nearly There Yet Theatre – Circus Skills – interactive, physical workshops are available from inspirational Manchester based Circus Theatre Director, Mimosa Percy – Rouhaud. 

Kema Sikazwe (aka Kema Kay) – Music/Rap workshops or Theatre/Performance skills, from this up and coming young performer from the North East. Suitable for all school settings, Primary and Secondary, youth groups and Young Promoters. Delivered by Kema Sikazwe. 

Manasamitra – Music workshops in Raga and songwriting. Suitable for all ages, school settings and youth groups, Young Promoters. Delivered by the West Yorkshire based internationally established composer and singer, Supriya Nagarajan. 

Eliot Smith Dance Company – Eliot Smith Dance (ESD) is an award winning North East leading contemporary dance company. The group is based in Gateshead (England) and rehearses predominately in Northumberland. Led by its Founder and Creative Director Eliot Smith.

Yvonne Battle – Felton Creative Writing and Storytelling – Yvonne offers workshops in creative writing and storytelling. Her children’s short story So Your Mom is a Superhero, was commended for the Faber Andlyn BAME (FAB) Prize in 2017 and she is co-author of Ladybird’s audio book ‘Ladybird Tales of Crowns and Thrones’ read by Cathy Tyson. 

 

Creative Writing Workshop, Yvonne Battle Felton, Cockfield Primary School County Durham, 2023

Music Workshop, Hannabiell Sanders and Yilis del Carmen Suriel, Shilbottle Primary School Northumberland, 2023

Music Workshop, Kema Sikazwe, Shap CoE Primary School Cumbria, 2023

Music Workshop, Supriya Nagarajan, Wolsingham School County Durham, 2023

Music Workshop, Maddie Morris, Long Marton Cumbria, 2022

Dance Workshop, Sonia Sabri, Castle Carrock, Cumbria 2019

Circus Skills Workshop, Nearly There Yet, Shap CoE Primary School Cumbria, 2023

Theatre workshop, Hannah Sowerby, Seahouses Primary School Northumberland, 2024

Rap Music workshop, Kema Sikazwe (aka Kema Kay), Allendale Primary School Northumberland, 2024

Animation workshop, Virpi Kettu, Crosby Ravensworth CE Primary School Cumbria, 2024

Our Creative Engagement Officer Kate at Careers Week 2024, Queen Katherine School Kendal, Cumbria

Theatre workshop, Gav Cross, Kirkby Stephen Grammar School, Cumbria 2024

In the meantime

As well as workshops in schools in 2024, we also have some recommendations available online, for community groups and schools to access. Please see Workshop Resources in the menu.