Kingsway children achieve national award

Local children have received nationally recognised awards as part of a project to encourage creativity, with 118 children from Y4 and Y5 at Kingsway Primary School achieving the prestigious Arts Award Discover qualification. The children have been working on a joint project with their school and Junction to explore the arts and create their own work. Funded by Children and the Arts nationally and IVE regionally, the children have visited Junction several times to see professional work and have worked with artists in school.

The project started in September last year, when the children visited Junction to see a shadow theatre show by Finger and Thumb, which was specially commissioned by the venue. They were inspired by what they saw and worked with Junction to bring in an artist, who worked with them so that they could create their own shadow work in school. Working with Indigo Moon Puppet Theatre they devised, wrote and performed this in December 2017, which received rave reviews from parents and staff who were invited to the performance.

“IVE are delighted that 118 children in Goole have achieved their Arts Award Discover. We hope that by doing the Arts Award, the students at Kingsway School have discovered a lifelong passion for the arts, will feel empowered to continue their journeys as young artists and will keep being creative in the future. A big thank you must go out to the hardworking team at Junction in Goole who are one of Children and the Art’s Start partners. Start is a UK-wide programme that gives children in disadvantaged circumstances access to high quality arts experiences that increase their confidence, boost their self-esteem and raise their aspirations. IVE has been working closely with Children and the Arts and the Start partners in Yorkshire and the Humber to deliver the programme and we’re thrilled to hear another example of its success.” – Susan Cairns, Cultural Education Manager, IVE

Arts Award is a nationally recognised qualification for young people which celebrates the creation and participation in a range of arts activities, with awards ranging from Discover for those aged 7 and over, up to Gold awards for those up to the age of 25. The Arts Award can be used as part of young people’s CVs and is a mark of recognition for their creative endeavours.

Nicola Dixon, Youth and Community Arts Coordinator at Junction said, “I went into school to present the children with their Arts Awards, they all seemed so happy to have achieved their Awards. I was lucky enough to see their shadow shows last year, and am pleased they now have national recognition for the hard work they put into this project. Well done Team Kingsway!”

Eibhlish Fleming from Children and the Arts commented; “We are delighted that we have been able to support over one hundred young people from Kingsway Primary School to obtain their Arts Award as part of our Start programme. We hope that they are proud of this wonderful achievement, and that they will continue to explore and learn about the world of the arts in the future.