SPARK

28 November 2011 Back to list

SPARK, the West Yorkshire Playhouse's hugely successful after school activities programme ran in Leeds between 2000 and 2005, before becoming a national programme with support from Provident Financial.

A unique arts education project, SPARK, is firing the creativity of 6,000 schoolchildren in the UK and Republic of Ireland by providing 50 schools with limited access to the arts, with an opportunity to work with local theatres and artists in bespoke courses of visual and performing arts workshops ranging from street dance and gospel singing to batik and sculpture.

Provident Financial's SPARK project, which is managed by West Yorkshire Playhouse, will partner schools with regional theatres across the UK and Republic of Ireland, including the Axis Arts Centre Ballymun, Battersea Arts Centre, Octagon Theatre Bolton, The Riverfront Newport, Dundee Rep Theatre, The Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh and Birmingham Repertory Theatre. During the three-year project, up to 120 pupils aged 7 to 11 from each school will take part in five Spark sessions. These sessions will culminate in celebratory events held at the local partner venue offering young people the opportunity to share their new skills and participate in local arts festivals and projects.

Brent Shackleton, Provident Financial's Community Affairs Manager comments:

"We've used our expertise of over thirty years in supporting the arts to develop a project that enables young people to work with professional artists to boost their skills and confidence and enhance their learning. Studies commissioned by the Department for Education and Employment and undertaken by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority into teaching and learning practices in the classroom, show there is proven evidence of the benefit of arts education and creativity"

Ruth Hannant , Spark Project Manager at West Yorkshire Playhouse adds:

"Spark offers young people a rare chance to work with artists and local theatres, and highlights the valuable role that the arts can play in educational development. This project is unique in bringing together schools and regional theatres in longer-term relationships, and encourages skill sharing and creative partnerships to develop throughout the UK and Ireland."

Steve Ball, Head of Education at Birmingham Rep where the first year of SPARK is now complete, says:

"For pupils it has given them a high quality art experience that they wouldn't have had and that could not have been provided by teachers. For teachers it was a professional development opportunity. They could see how art forms could be used in class. And it also gave them a point of engagement with the Rep."