With Flying Colours

11/10/2023

27/09/2023

We are delighted to share the Our World Festival Documentary

Filmed from September 2022 to June 2023, the documentary captures the creation and build up to the Our World Festival.

From flying pirate ships, to pen monsters, wild rides on rivers and oceans, and a super horse - the Our World Festival had it all, including some deeply thoughtful pieces exploring the challenges and joys of being a young person in the modern world.

The documentary follows the young people of Plymouth, their schools, and cultural organisations in the city on their journey, as the co-create brand new performances. From visits to the theatre, technical trips, rehearsals, workshops, to the final performance day, the documentary captures it all.

The documentary, filmed and edited by Fotonow (CIC) can be viewed now on our YouTube Channel now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNy_XBKRu24&t=28s

Let us know what you think in the comments below!

Funded by: Arts Council England and Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Partners:

Beechwood Primary Academy
Brook Green Centre for Learning
College Road Primary School
Marlborough Primary School
MBHS
Oakwood Primary Academy
Sir John Hunt Community Sports College
Stoke Damerel Community College
Whitleigh Primary School
Woodfield Primary and Nursery School
Woodlands School Plymouth

Above Bounds Theatre Collective
Alex Robins and Charlie Ranken - Dance & Theatre Artist
Beyond Face - Theatre Company
Barbican Theatre
Exim Dance Company
Far Flung Dance Theatre
The Quad Theatre, Marjon Arts Centre
Stiltskin Creative Arts & Theatre Co.
Soapbox Children's Theatre
Take a Part
Theatre Royal Plymouth

25/09/2023

💫It’s the final week of 💫

To celebrate, here is one of our favourite quotes from the evaluation we will be sharing later this week…

The way the young people supported and helped each other with both their confidence and emotions throughout the year, but particularly during the final performance, was also an incredibly moving part of the process for us...[One student] said that the highlight of the performance for her, was how, ‘[another student] showed me I didn’t need to be scared, and made me believe I could do it.’’ (Delivery Partner).

22/09/2023

Here's what teacher's say about With Flying Colours...

'A wonderful opportunity for children to shine and grow in a creative environment that schools don't often provide. The expertise offered was fantastic, resulting in an outcome that schools could not reach alone. Every child was provided a platform to shine and display creative talent.'

Photography: Fotonow (CIC)
Funded by: Arts Council England and Department for Culture, Media and Sport

With Flying Colours is a Plymouth Cultural Education Partnership Project.

21/09/2023

4 years of Co-Creation in Plymouth is coming to an end.

Over the next week we will be sharing some of our favourite moments, quotes, films and evaluation... but we wanted to start by reflecting on these statistics:

🎉 2,276 Young People Engaged
🎉 15,970 Unique Engagements
🎉 15 Schools Engaged
🎉 61 Performances by Young People
🎉 844 Co-Creation Sessions
🎉 1,453 Hours of Delivery
🎉 18 Plymouth Based Delivery Partners Commissioned
🎉 104 Plymouth Based Arts Professionals Employed

Plymouth has achieved a lot over the last 4 years, often through experiences and moments that can't be reduced to words, but we are proud that these stats reflect the project's achievements.

Photography: Fotonow (CIC)
Funded by: Department for Culture, Media and Sport and Arts Council England

With Flying Colours is a Plymouth Cultural Education Partnership Project

20/09/2023

Legacy Projects - Beyond Face - Theatre Company

In the project’s final year, With Flying Colours commissioned 3 Delivery Partner Legacy Projects to explore new models of working. These commissions were designed to explore innovative and sustainable ways of engaging young people in co-creation that can live beyond the project. This week we will be sharing insight into each Legacy Project’s development, today we are spotlighting Beyond Face Theatre Company.

Beyond Face’s Legacy Project

What?
• A pilot Anti-Racism CPD for teachers at Stoke Damerel Community College provided alongside a performance of ‘Sitting in the Grey’ by Beyond Face

Why?
• To provide teachers with the appropriate tools to address conversations around racism in schools

How?
• Teachers and students will attend a performance of ‘Sitting in the Grey’, Beyond Face will then facilitate an Anti-Racism CPD session for staff which will be themed around ‘Sitting in the Grey’

Outcome?
• ‘Sitting in the Grey’ was performed at Barbican Theatre in February 2023

• The audience included professionals in the arts sector and education sector, including WFC Delivery Partners and teachers engaged in the project

• An initial consultation with 10 teachers at SDCC took place in April 2023

• The consultation session enabled Beyond Face to plan an Anti-Racism CPD session which was bespoke to the needs of the group

• This is an ongoing project, with a bespoke CPD session in SDCC scheduled for September 2023
Funded by: Arts Council England Department for Culture, Media and Sport Plymouth Cultural Education Partnership

19/09/2023

Legacy Projects – Above Bounds Theatre Collective

In the project’s final year, With Flying Colours commissioned 3 Delivery Partner Legacy Projects to explore new models of working. These commissions were designed to explore innovative and sustainable ways of engaging young people in co-creation that can live beyond the project. This week we will be sharing insight into each Legacy Project’s development and today we are spotlighting Above Bounds.

Above Bound’s Legacy Project

What?
• An after-school club based on co-creating art and performance for Key Stage 2 students at Beechwood Primary Academy and Weston Mill Community Primary Academy

Why?
• For young people to take part in a co-creation process and offering them influence over Above Bounds’ professional work, including their next ‘pop-up show’.

How?
• Weekly after school sessions where KS2 students could learn performance techniques and try different art forms such as puppetry and design

Outcome?
• Young people built their self-efficacy, confidence and team building skills through improvisation and drama games

• The young people were given a space where ideas and thoughts were listened to, valued and developed into a professional show

• Participants have been keen to share their own skills in sessions, such as offering to draw puppet designs for the show

• Young people directly fed into the creation of a new piece of professional theatre for young people, which attracted funding within this time frame and will be performed in Autumn 2023 and into Summer 2024
Funded by: Arts Council England Department for Culture, Media and Sport Plymouth Cultural Education Partnership

18/09/2023

Legacy Projects – Exim Dance Company

In the project’s final year, With Flying Colours commissioned 3 Delivery Partner Legacy Projects to explore new models of working. These commissions were designed to explore innovative and sustainable ways of engaging young people in co-creation that can live beyond the project. This week we will be sharing insight into each Legacy Project’s development, starting with Exim Dance Company CIC.

Exim Dance’s Legacy Project

What?
• An ongoing movement project aimed towards secondary school students who identify as male

Why?
• To address heteronormative male stereotypes, challenge toxic behaviours and increase engagement within the arts

How?
• In-school movement sessions for male identifying students in 2 schools: Stoke Damerel Community College and Millbay Academy

Outcome?
• Participants were able to articulate their thoughts/emotions in ways that words often fail to capture

• Participants expanded their repertoire of dance performance techniques, styles and performance-making skills

• Participants performed in a dance shareback including co-created transition from piece to piece

• Exim has secured further secondary work specifically focusing on working with those that identify as male through these workshops
Funded by: Arts Council England Department for Culture, Media and Sport

17/09/2023

Today is our final Delivery Partner post, and we are talking about Charlie Ranken - Dance & Theatre Artist and Alex Robins. Charlie and Alex have worked with Woodfield Primary and Nursery School for three years now, each time working with year 5 to co-create a school play. Charlie and Alex played around with different forms of co-creation, took the young people to the theatre, and also supported the young people in completing their arts awards. Swipe to learn more!

Photography by: Fotonow (CIC)
Funded by: Department for Culture, Media and Sport and Arts Council England

11/09/2023

Today’s spotlight features Theatre Royal Plymouth

This year, Theatre Royal Plymouth worked with both year 5 classes at Whitleigh Community Primary School. Artists Mich Sanderson and Emma Baskeyfield led the artistic process, working with the young people and staff at Whitleigh to co-create the wonderful titled: ‘Population Pollution: Earth is Over, Soz About It’. Learn more about their work by swiping through the infographic.

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Photography: Fotonow (CIC)
Funded by: Arts Council England and Department for Culture, Media and Sport

11/09/2023

Calling all designers, artists and makers - WWoodfield Primary and Nursery Schoolhave an exciting commission for their WWith Flying Colourslegacy pot.

This is a new and exciting micro-commission for Woodfield who, via With Flying Colours (WFC) have had the opportunity to explore new ways of working with theatre practitioners and artists to co-create performances, make sets, props, support backstage and perform. Across the WFC Project we’ve seen development in new skills, confidence and oracy.

To develop legacy from WFC, Woodfield School would like to commission an artist/maker to design, fabricate and install a new sculpture to be cited on the school grounds. The ambition is that this sculpture will support pupils in a range of subjects acting as a catalyst for writing, art, maths, oracy (for example as a start point for a story, subject for a drawing, object to be measured, subject of debate, etc)

Interested? Check out the link below for all the details regarding fee, brief and pictures of the location.

Deadline: 29th September 2023.
Email Gem Smith (WFC Education Consultant) on [email protected] for more information.

Project Brief– Legacy Sculpture Commissioners –Woodfield Primary School (via With Flying Colours Legacy Fund) Woodfield Primary School (Plymouth) has been a part of the With Flying Colours Project; a 4 year project funded by Arts Council England and the Department of Culture, Media and Spo...

09/09/2023

Spooky Writing Opportunity for ages 7-11! 👻🫣 Stiltskin Creative Arts & Theatre Co.

Whooooooo! Exciting Spooky News!

We have launched our Spooky Story Writing Competition for 7-11 yr olds.

Young writers start scribbling as the closing date for applicants is by 6pm, 6th October 2023. The overall winner will have the opportunity to work with our artistic director and resident writer Jacqueline, to develop their story, ready to be told at our Twilight Tales Halloween event by the character Miss Treat, 4 free tickets to the event, their story published on social media and an illustration by Jacqueline to accompany the story. (T&Cs apply)

There will also be 2 runners up prizes.

If you have a budding writer(s) then head over to the Box-office to find the entry form and read the terms and conditions.

We look forward to receiving your children's spooky entrails...oops I meant entries Mwahaha!

www.stiltskin.org.uk/box-office
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