Education

'Thank you for helping us express our minds. I really liked working with you. You've really taught us how to act. I would also like to thank you for supporting us throughout our lessons. This will always be in my childhood in the future. Thank you everyone in the Blue Elephant Theatre.’                                   
Year 4 Pupil from partner primary school

Education Policy

‘Theatre that teaches and inspires the community’

  The Blue Elephant Theatre engages artists from different mediums and cultural backgrounds in arts projects for the local and London-wide communities through:

1) Community access – the provision of a theatre building for arts projects, subsidised access to its arts programme and facilities for the voluntary sector. 

2) Education – The improvement of services for teachers through INSET training, voluntary/community/school training work placements/experience, arts  activities for children and young people; drama classes in primary schools, after school and summer school clubs and Young People’s Theatre 7-18 years.

3) Artistic – The development and production of high quality artistic experiences in:  
a) main house productions of theatre, dance, comedy, film and music        
b) the exhibition of visual arts at the theatre’s gallery space.

As well as being situated in one of the poorest boroughs in the capital, the Blue Elephant is surrounded by a wealth of cultural diversity. The Education work that the theatre leads on has proved to have been an essential resource for its participants, helping nurture their talent and academic ability as well as offering the opportunity to explore other choices in life.  The professional productions develop that notion, not only nurturing new artists from around the world but also providing political, high-quality theatre that reflects the theatre’s passion for community in the broader sense.

The Blue Elephant Theatre strongly believes that the arts can be a valuable tool for reconnecting young people with mainstream education, acting as a catalyst for the re-engagement of young people by

·    Addressing key social problems affecting young people at risk of or experiencing exclusion

·    Changing group dynamics rooted in aggression and division into a supportive atmosphere

·    Motivating young people

·    Allowing participants to explore personal issues through arts based activities

·    Giving young people a sense of pride and achievement in demonstrating newly acquired skills  

Creative Minds - Phase 3

'Creative Minds' is funded by Southwark Children's Fund and is an ongoing project involving children from two Southwark primary schools. This work comes under the ‘Every Child Matters’ strategy: ‘Enjoy & Achieve’. 

We provide long-term intervention that aims to enhance and enrich the academic attainment and social well-being of the participants.  

Aged between 9 -11, 90% of the children come from black and ethnic minorities.  the project aims to contribute towards the provision of preventative services for up to 200 children and young people who are at risk of social exclusion, enabling them to overcome social, physical and economic disadvantages through:

The provision of three years of creative drama-based workshops, INSET teacher and Youth worker training and access to arts events for two partner primary schools in Southwark.

Creative Minds - Phase three incorporates the following activities:

In school Workshops

Partner Schools:

Keyworth Primary School, Faunce Street, London, SE17

St Paul's C of E Primary School, Penrose Street, London, SE17

The Blue Elephant Theatre works with three classes from each primary school for 30 weeks over the school year delivering drama workshops linked to a selected area of the curriculum. In the final terms all participating classes take part in a performance at the Blue Elephant Theatre. The schools also benefit from free visits to the theatre and free INSET training.

‘Our pupils have grown in self-confidence and self-esteem, they are learning to present themselves effectively and every child is involved, many of whom have special educational needs and/or English as an additional language...'
Ms A Low, Deputy Head, Oliver Goldsmith Primary School  

After School Clubs:

Working with schools to provide further support out of school hours; the Blue Elephant Theatre work with children from years 3 to 6 to develop drama, script-writing and performance skills as well as imagination, teamwork and self-esteem. At the end of the school year each group has an opportunity to perform their work at the Blue Elephant theatre.

GET INVOLVED! - GET INVOLVED! 

Transitions - A theatre project for young people about to start secondary school

Summer 2008

Dates to be confirmed 

Age 10-11 years - 20 places 

Mentors, Age 12-16 - 6 places

A project for young people moving from year 6 to year 7. Two groups of young people work with a team of theatre facilitators to create their own performances around the theme of 'Transition'. They are supported by a team of mentors from secondary schools around the borough. The mentors are trained in a range of drama workshop leading and support skills. 

This project is funded by Southwark Children's Fund.

“It was a great opportunity to see Blue Elephant drama work in action and I was very impressed by the range of group work methods being utilised and the way that issues about moving from primary to secondary school were being gradually introduced.  I was very impressed at how the young people were encouraged to voice their experiences and issues and although it was only their second day it was very evident that a very trusting and supportive environment was being built up by the staff team.”                                                                                                                                                                   Helen Naylor, Southwark Children’s Fund