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A project designed to improve aspiration and educational attainment amongst young people in Thamesmead, is being hailed a great success.
‘Sense of Arts’ is a year-long creative arts project, which is currently running at Windrush Primary School, with significant support from community development charity Trust Thamesmead.
Using an African folk tale as a base, children in years 3 and 4 have been working with two professional dance and music artists over a ten-week period to develop their own interpretation using dance, drama and music. The whole process was linked very closely to the literacy curriculum and how you can improve literacy through a cross-curricular approach.
School head Carol Warnke said: “I cannot believe the depth of impact that this project has made on the entire school community. Having the funding to bring in professional performers to work with the children has made an incredible difference. The children have performed well above their ages of six and seven years old, their aspirations have been raised and they’ve been given real self-belief.
“In addition, we have found a fantastic way of encouraging parents to get more involved in school life, by coming in on a regular basis to help make scenery and costumes. I have every confidence that this new relationship between home and school will only grow.”
Having first performed in front of more than 150 friends and family in school, the show has now been taken on the road with another performance at Woolwich Polytechnic, also in Thamesmead, with the idea being to strengthen links between the primary and secondary school.
Trust Thamesmead Chief Executive Mick Hayes said: “Such a fantastic project could not have happened without Windrush having the highest of ambitions for their children.”
The Trust’s Danny Thorpe, who has been supporting the project on a weekly basis said: “The children did really well to master the drums, pick up the dance moves and learn their lines. Meanwhile their parents worked overtime in the new family room at Windrush to develop the costumes for their performance. They made some excellent headpieces for the children, with snakes, birds and tigers all featuring in the performance, which is set in the jungle.
“The combination of dance, drama and music was a wonderful spectacle to watch. It was a phenomenal performance, with all children participating fully, and demonstrating skills that show enormous potential.”
The Trust Thamesmead Sense of Arts project at Windrush will continue throughout the year, under the guidance of Deputy Head Jo Marchant
A small number of nationally important historic buildings in Bexley are protected as listed buildings, but the Council has always recognised that many more historic buildings in the area are valued by local people as part of the familiar and cherished local scene.
These buildings are included on the Council’s list of buildings of local historic or architectural interest, which is currently being reviewed. Entries range from a milestone to a clock tower, and from a tiny cottage to a large church.
You can view the full review of the local list on the Council’s website at www.bexley.gov.uk/consultations. Printed copies of the review can also be seen in Local Studies at the Central Library, Bexleyheath, or at Wyncham House, 207 Longlands Road, Sidcup.
The review information includes a description of each of the buildings and the reason for the recommendation.
Bexley would like your views on the proposals and would be interested if you know more of the history of any of the buildings or if you think a particular property has been omitted and should be added.
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