Education & Community
Education
The Royal Centre's Education Department was established in July 2001, following a successful bid to the Regional Arts Lottery Programme. David Longford was appointed in the new post of Education Manager and began to establish a regular programme of education events and workshops for both the Theatre Royal and the Royal Concert Hall.
The aim of our education work is to build up a closer relationship with local people through a more active engagement with our touring companies, as well creating and initiating our own work.
This will give you just a flavour of the education work over the past few years:
- Workshops in schools and at the theatre with companies such as Northern Ballet Theatre, Birmingham Stage Company, Opera North, the Touring Consortium and Matthew Bourne.
- Pre-show talks and post show discussions, with amongst others David Soul, Richard Briers, Stephanie Beacham, Simon Ward, David Haig, Philip Franks, Kate 0'Mara and Martin Shaw.
- The establishment of The Royal Company, with community performances of The Government Inspector, Fahrenheit 451, Oliver Twist, The Mysteries, The Hundred and One Dalmatians, Revolting Rhymes and Robin of Sherwood, as well as an active workshop programme.
- A regular dance/movement class for the over 50s, presented in partnership with Northern Ballet Theatre.
- An innovative series of character led backstage tours, plus our annual Halloween ghost-hunt for children around the dark corridors of the Theatre Royal.
- Royal Centre Summer Schools.
- Half-term and holiday workshops.
- Specialised education projects, such as a summer school for the St. Ann's Youth Inclusion Project and a design residency in a children's home.
- INSET sessions for teachers. Previous sessions programmed have included work with the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Halle Orchestra and Northen Ballet Theatre.
- A very busy and full work experience programme.
- Poetry and storytelling events. Performers have included Brian Patten, John Cooper Clarke and Ian McMillan.
- Production and dissemination of education packs to accompany many of the Royal Centre's shows.
- Clowns, Jokes & Girls as Blokes - a TIE commission to tour schools on the history and traditions of Pantomime.
- What She Would Have Wanted? - a new TIE play that examines the issues surrounding the law and growing older - touring schools, community centres and older person's groups throughout the East Midlands during 2007 and 2008. Presented in partnership with Nelson's Solicitors and Pintsize Theatre Company.
- A regular playgoing course, run in conjunction with the Workers' Educational Association.
- The Beanbag Proms - an innovative concert programme for the under 6s, plus other classical music education work, in partnership with the Hallé Orchestra and Sinfonia ViVA.
We are pleased to say that our education programme has proved enormously popular and continues to grow. For example since its inception nearly 8,000 children have seen and experienced our Pantomime education programme, whilst the Royal Company, our community theatre initiative now has a strong membership of approximately 150 people. Our community production of The Hundred and One Dalmatians achieved many sell-out performances with just over 5,500 people enjoying the show.
The Royal Centre's Education Department has also been shortlisted three times for the prestigious national Arts & Business Awards.
If you would like to know more about the education work of the Royal Centre then please contact David Longford, Education Manager, on 0115 9895531 or david.longford@nottinghamcity.gov.uk
