Performance
What happens when pupils are given a 'stage'.
Thoughts and musings
It’s that time of year again. End of year productions for many Year 6 cohorts. Following final assessments, amidst residentials and culminating in a number of performances to families, friends and the rest of the school. In the past week I have been fortunate enough to be invited along to two theatres to been in the audience for two very special performances. The first, the Victoria Theatre in Halifax, West Yorkshire. The second, the National Theatre in London. It was not an intentional plan that both events fell in the same week but the culmination of both experiences, alongside end of year school productions, really got me thinking and reflecting.
What value can performance have in the development of skill, confidence and enjoyment within curriculum offerings?
To give a bit of context, the first event I attend last week was the celebratory concert from a brilliant project aptly named ‘Lights Camera Score’1 ran by a team of exceptional professionals (partnering with Three Stones Media). Providing young people with the opportunity to create a narrative, write and perform their own musical accompaniment and see this captured in a high-quality animation, the project seeks to allow a platform for ‘Young people working as equals alongside creative professionals’. Even more astounding, as the children took to the stage last week, they were joined by the English Chamber Orchestra who helped them perform their own musical and artistic creations. A goosebump-inducing moment!
The CLiPPA poetry awards was my second live performance event. What a special celebration to be part of. Not only were a number of schools who took part in ‘The CLiPPA Shadowing Scheme’2 present at the theatre, to enjoy the semi-finalists performing poems from their collections, but the select winning pupils performed on stage too! Talk about memorable!
Two events united by the enjoyment and immersion of the written word coming to life in a spoken form.
Ideas and practical suggestions
So, how could enjoyable and purposeful opportunities for children to perform be taken into consideration when planning curriculum offerings, in the arts and beyond? Below are two suggestions which I hope can be actioned with minimal time spent preparing. Think of these more as a shift towards intentionality when considering the power of performance in raising engagement, confidence and enjoyment.
What I have taken away from last week’s experiences, and these ideas will hopefully resonate if you are currently involved in a production (or have been in the past), has been the special power that performance can hold for a number of children and the feelings of fun and joy which can be elicited as a result.
Of course, for some children performance is a terrifying prospect. As educators, we know our children and their needs. However, I believe that my following two ‘ideas and practical suggestions’ hold potential for all children - when presented in the “right way” for individuals. There does not necessarily need to be a physical stage. Instead, the ‘stage’ is whatever platform the children feel most comfortable performing on, with an audience they feel most confident with. Recording using devices, considering the use of space and timings, involving the children in their choices of guests. These can all be adaptations which could make a difference to ensure inclusivity is respected and valued.
1. The power of music and the spoken word
One of the most significant thoughts I had whilst watching the children perform alongside the English Chamber Orchestra was the magic which had been unlocked by pairing their carefully crafted words with a beat, a specifically chosen set of instruments and a world-class groups of musicians. The lyrics told a story, which the children had written, linked to the UNESCO theme of ‘Seeds of Hope’3. It made me wonder if such passion and enthusiasm, as well as wit and playfulness, would have emerged if this was ‘just’ a paragraph written in an exercise book.
So, how could music and the spoken word be combined to elevate the effect on an audience and the enjoyment of the process?
Consider the purpose and outcomes of writing tasks - across subjects. Could creating a song, a rap or a performance poem be the end aim in a English unit or when learning about a specific area of Science, History or Maths? Same objectives achieved, different pathway for reaching the end goal. More memorable? More engaging? More purposeful?
Make your Music provision matter. Look for opportunities to apply skills learnt in music lessons to tie in across subjects. The progress which had been made with learning to play a range of instruments which were seen on stage in Halifax clearly linked with the fact that the children understood that what they were learning mattered. They were making music. Entertaining. Providing a backdrop for their carefully crafted words.
Create opportunities to perform. If children have spent time artfully weaving the spoken word in with their musical accompaniments, how is this celebrated and showcased? And who to? Could this be a series of pop up performances at the start of the school day as families arrive? Over lunchtime to entertain peers? Recorded and placed on a digital school community platform, accessible by a QR code? The children will have the opportunity to see the impact of their words and music in action. To delight? To make the audience stop and think? To inform? In this way they can authentically evaluate (and hopefully find joy in) the effects of their performances.
2. Having fun with words
As I mentioned in a previous ‘glimmer’, ‘When does writing become joyful?’4 it literally hurts my heart when children groan at the prospect of an English lesson. There is so much fun to be had with words! This could not have been clearer than at the CLiPPA Poetry Award show, where my heart was literally humming with joy. What all of the poets so expertly, passionately and artfully communicated was the power of words to make the reader (or listener) feel and respond.
So how can opportunities to play with, and enjoy words, be created and elevated?
Consider the texts you are exploring with, or have available to, your pupils. I have spoken a number of times about provision of English curriculum and how important the texts which are chosen to do this through are.5 So, I pose this question - how much poetry is currently available within your curriculum or on your book shelves?
Poetry holds the key to so many incredible opportunities for rich language exploration and immersion. The CLiPPA semi-finalists (alongside so many other talented poets) have written poems which allow for words to be carefully considered, performed aloud and which provoke a reaction. The winner, Colette Hiller’s collection, ‘Colossal Words for Kids’ is even formed around the meaning of intriguing and tantalising vocabulary!
Across the curriculum, are there ways in which words can be played with to support pupils in their understanding? Whether this be creating a poem, lyrics or a short drama piece based around the exploration of a word or concept. Once again, coupling word investigations with performance allows for children to develop their own voice, their own confidence and their own creation of meaning.
To find out more about the valuable work that Lights Camera Score do, and to see samples of the children’s past final animations:
Visit the CLiPPA site to find out more about this year’s awards and next year’s shadowing scheme:
See Just Imagine’s Nikki Gamble interviewing the semi-finalists in a series of special videos:
I love the idea of using music at the end of a unit of English work! You're right, music adds something extra to the delivery of information doesn't it!
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