Welcome to the Summer edition of the newsletter from the Isle of Wight Cultural Education Partnership (IWCEP)
You are two thirds of the way through the school year and I’m sure it feels great to have your pupils back in the classroom. The summer term always feels like a breath of fresh air, when you can get outside and be close to nature, and although things are a ‘bit different’ the hope of warm sunshine and celebrating the end of the academic year is within reach.
IWCEP Update
The Partnership has been busy planning for the future. We have become more sustainable by aligning ourselves with a local charity, The Island Collection. The IWCEP is now officially a committee of that group. We have also begun to express our Story of Change, describing what motivates us as a partnership and what we would like to do in order to move forward. Next we will write a 5 year strategic plan.
If you feel that you would like some input into our plans please get in contact with Sarah Girling, IWCEP Coordinator, sarahgirling77@gmail.com. You would be welcome to either email comments or come to our IWCEP meetings, currently held on Zoom. The next meeting is Tuesday 18 May at 3.30pm.
The Isle of Wight Museums and Schools Programme UPDATE
We are a network of seven Island museums who along with the Cultural Education Partnership have been working together for the last 3 years to enhance links between schools and museums. This year our focus has been on developing digital and remote resources – although between lockdowns we have still managed to engage with over 1200 students.
Whilst we are waiting for our museums to re-open, we have an exciting offer of subsidised workshops which we can bring to your schools either digitally or in person. We have developed introductory videos for our sites and can provide interactive Q&As with our experts. These sessions are available at a reduced cost thanks to funding from the Department for Education through Arts Council England – find out more
We hope that our museums will open after the 17 May so if you would like to bring your students to visit – please get in touch. We can offer exciting workshops and a discount off the normal admission price.
Supporting Arts Award
The Museum and Schools programme have been working with creative practitioners to celebrate and enhance our collections and sites. These can be used to work towards an Arts Award qualification or assist with supporting the wider curriculum. Available soon:
- A Guide to Oral History for pupils and teachers
- A gallery of our museum’s ‘Top Treasures’ with exciting storytelling ideas to support their interpretation. See example here.
- A series of videos made by some of the Island’s top artists which will guide your students in creating their own incredible artworks inspired by the Island’s history
Explore the Earth Museum
We have also been working with The Earth Museum to create digital explorer maps. Students can use these exciting interactive maps in the classroom or at home to dive into the fascinating history of the Isle of Wight told through the collections of our museums. The Earth Museum have developed four programmes:
- The Isle of Wight before 1066,
- The Isle of Wight 1700 – 1900,
- Science Island
- Global Island
The maps will support curriculum based learning for KS2 and KS3 students across history, geography, science, and citizenship. These incredible maps can be used as a standalone resource for refreshing and consolidating existing knowledge and will also complement future museum visits. Please take a moment to explore this resource and let us know if there are any other topics or curriculum links which may be useful for us to develop. Explore objects and stories of the Island at The Earth Museum.
Cartoon History of the Isle of Wight
And finally a little bit of fun for children and adults – celebrate the Isle of Wight’s incredible history with our interactive poem ‘A Cartoon History of the Isle of Wight’ . The poem brings alive the history of the Island. Why not illustrate the poem and create your own verses?
Find out more
The Museums and Schools programme is supported by Arts Council England, funded through the Department of Education.
Partners include: The Cultural Education Partnership, Carisbrooke Castle Museum, Classic Boat Museum, Brading Roman Villa, Dimbola Museum and Galleries, The Shipwreck Centre and Maritime Museum, Newport Roman Villa, and the Museum of Island History.
Find out more about the Museums and Schools programme please visit here Museum Service – Service Details (iow.gov.uk)
If you would like to book a visit or workshop, please contact the sites directly or contact Heritage Education Officer – Estelle Baker who will provide an overview of what is available. estelle.baker@iow.gov.uk (0781 3021486)
Osborne House and Carisbrooke Castle are now open seven days a week, grounds only, with interiors hopefully reopening mid-May. If you are interested in a visit with your education group check out the schools pages on our websites or contact our Education Visits Officer, Laura Bosworth, Laura.Bosworth@english-heritage.org.uk
14 education groups have responded to our Spring Challenge to design large pennants for Carisbrooke Castle depicting a period of the Castle’s history and a chosen character from that time. The completed pennants will be going up on display in the Castle from Friday 30th April 2021. The groups have worked really hard on their creations and it is lovely to be able to showcase the creative talent we have in our young Islanders.
Yarmouth Castle is planning to re-open mid-May and will have a new storytelling space. We are hoping to work with local Early Years and School Groups who would like to make use of this space. Please contact Laura Bosworth for more information.
The Classic Boat Museum will re-open this summer with exciting new displays.
The Boat Shed in Cowes and the Gallery in East Cowes will welcome visitors from June 22. The Gallery has been completely refurbished thanks to a grant from the South East Museums Development Programme and will present a new series of exhibitions: Dreaming of the Sea, Joe Carstairs ‘The Fastest Woman on the Water’, Maritime Power and Technology, and Sailing By on the history of sailing.
We are also proud to present a Dinghy Simulator, supplied by Indoor Sailing, which will give visitors the opportunity to try out virtual sailing in the museum. It’s equipped for disabled, novice and experienced sailors. This new acquisition has been made possible with a grant from the National Heritage Lottery Foundation.
We are delighted to be working with the IOW Heritage and Education Service, the IWCEP, the Earth Museum and UKSA in developing learning materials and workshops for students on a wide range of maritime subjects: From Virtual Sailing to Real Sailing, Safety at Sea, Transport Through Time and Marine Clothing Then and Now.
Contact Jan Ford jan@maritimeisle.com for advice on where to obtain pre-visit learning materials and how to book workshops and you can find out more on the Museum’s website .
Brave Island is a new platform providing opportunities for 14-25 year olds, living on the Isle of Wight, interested in the creative industries. Young people can sign up to the site, joining over 150 other users, and be able to apply to any opportunities that interest them. Some opportunities currently on offer include the chance to work as an Assistant Producer at Ventnor Exchange – part of the Government’s Kickstart scheme. View a whole host of talks available from Soundcheck, our music industry event at ventnorexchange.co.uk/soundcheck. And join Brave Island’s ideas panel to meet new people and have your say in what future opportunities are on offer.
IOW Music Hub has lots of projects this Summer Term to get involved with alongside our usual free CPD programme for teachers. Book or sign up here http://www.iowmusichub.org/
Big Emotions: Mindful Music for Little People (EYFS, KS1 & CPD FOR TEACHERS & DIGITAL CONTENT)
A new creative wellbeing music resource aimed at EYFS and KS1 created as a preventative tool for improving and nurturing children’s emotional wellbeing. Enjoy this musical book with children to help them learn about their emotions and how to regulate them. Each emotion has a song attached to it and plus access to 6 lesson plans and resources including art, colouring, mindfulness, DT and music activities that cover the National Curriculum for Music. Composer and author Laura Loft will deliver an online CPD session for teachers as part of this project introducing all the resources and how you might use them in your school. SPACES ARE LIMITED
5 Minute Rhythm & Rhyme (EYFS, KS1, SEND DIGITAL CONTENT)
This new Hub created resource features weekly 5 minute music-making sessions based around original songs. A series of inclusive music and sensory activities created for SEND pupils in both mainstream and specialist settings for Early years and KS1, featuring action songs, rhythms, rhymes and of course Makaton signs!
Big 10 Minute Sign & Sing (EYFS – KS3 & SEND)
Learn Makaton signs to your favourite pop songs, new content every Monday.
An Audience With… (KS3, KS4 & KS5)
Short videos from Music Industry professionals talking about their roles and pose your own questions which will be answered via our YouTube channel
Strictly Come Play – Virtual Ensemble (KS2, KS3, KS4 & KS5)
Missing playing together in school? Don’t have time to put together a digital performance? No problem, we’ll do that for you! Sign up for access to a very flexible arrangement suitable from grade 1 upwards. Pupils can send us videos of their parts from home, school or wherever and we will stitch together a digital performance to premiere on our YouTube channel.
‘Spark Catchers’ Songwriting Project (KS2 & KS3 DIGITAL CONTENT)
Write your own protest song using this series of 5 short cross curricular videos created by Southampton based organisation the Matchgirls Memorial as part of their project ‘Spark Catchers’. Suitable for English, History, PSHE and Music lessons or as a standalone digital resource.
“This Is Our Carnival” (KS1, KS2, KS3, KS4, SEND)
Learn the new anthem for this year’s National Children’s Carnival Week as part of this project led by The New Carnival Company with resources and a Makaton signing version if you are not yet singing en masse. Watch out – it’s very catchy!
Carnivals up and down the country are working together to bring a celebration full of camaraderie, vibrancy and exuberance, to every child and young person this summer. The new National Children’s Carnival Week, 12 – 18 July 2021, is the brainchild of the UK Centre for Carnival Arts based in Luton, and aims to get schoolteachers, children and their families everywhere involved in a remarkable upbeat finale to what has been such a challenging academic year.
Read more about this exciting project and how you can be involved here.
Contact Frankie Goldspink at The New Carnival Company, frankie@thenewcarnivalcompany.com
Training from our local Bridge Organisation
‘Back on track: reignite your Artsmark journey’ free online workshop Wednesday 19 May 2021, 10.00-11.30 am.
Join one of our expert trainers and other aspiring Artsmark settings for an interactive support session focusing on how the flexible Artsmark framework can support and align with your plans for recovery in school. Suitable for settings at any stage of their Artsmark journey.
Book via: https://artswork.org.uk/training-events/
If you have any queries please email artsmark@artswork.org.uk.
Save the Date for Artswork’s 3rd Free CPDL Webinar for teachers:
‘Arts Rich Schools – What They Look Like and How to Become One’ Wednesday 30 June 2021, 3.00 – 5.00pm
With Sam Cairns Co-Director of the Cultural Learning Alliance, (who led the RSA research into Arts Rich Schools published in January 2020), and a range of successful schools sharing their practice.
Eventbrite Booking opening soon on our website https://artswork.org.uk/training-events/
If you have any queries please email lorrainecheshire@artswork.org.uk.
LAStheatre are returning to the Island in June this year with another outdoor performance for schools.
‘The Rascally Diner’ is suitable for Years 2 – 6 and is all about the love of food! The performances are subsidised and there is potential for a bursary should that help bring the show to your school. They still have dates available in the week of 7 June.
Get in touch with Liz Bate: liz@lastheatre.com if you’d like to hear more, and have a look at their information pack here.
Picture Play – a 12 week Saturday morning art club independent Arts are funded to deliver to families who may need support. Suitable for Reception to Year 6 aged children. Parents (& younger siblings) must attend too. Saturday mornings 10 – 11.30am held at 48/49 High Street. Starts Sat 22nd May through to 14th August.
In blocks of 4 weeks, we’ll offer a curriculum based on inspiring artists starting with Rousseau and his wonderful animals. Places limited to 12 in total. Reserve a place by ringing Independent Arts 01983 822437.
