Lend Me Your Ears
Fri 23 Mar 2018The Associate Schools’ (AS) programme performance is my winner for many reasons; not least because it makes me smile!
Let me explain: the programme is a partnership between the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), regional theatres (The Marlowe being one) and schools across England. It builds on the success of the 10-year Learning And Performance Network and shares the same ambition: “To bring about a significant change in the way young people experience, engage with, and take ownership of the work of Shakespeare.”
Along with performances (including the chance to appear at the RSC’s world-famous home in Stratford-upon-Avon), the programme offers staff training, mentoring, networking, and working with industry professionals.
The programme is open to primary, secondary and special state schools; The Marlowe – with Paul Ainsworth, our Creative Engagement Manager, leading the way – works with 23 schools from east Kent (and has the biggest mix of schools in the scheme).
On 12 March, 11 of these schools came together at The Marlowe to perform Julius Caesar: The Ides Of March. They were: Canterbury High School (lead school), Canterbury Primary, Canterbury Road Primary, Sittingbourne, Ethelbert Road Primary, Faversham, Folkestone Academy, Herne Bay Junior School, Lynsted and Norton Primary School, Rochester Grammar School, St Gregory’s Catholic Primary School, Margate, The Orchard School, Canterbury, Towers School and Sixth Form, Ashford.
Colleagues had been working towards 12 March and the arrival of more than 130 young people (plus teaching staff) for months: set and costume design (black bomber jackets and epaulettes seemed to be in short supply), technical, dressing rooms and toilet logistics (did we have enough?), safeguarding and chaperoning, and rehearsals (at the individual schools and on the day, at the theatre).
Arriving at work on 12 March, it was immediately clear this was not going to be an average Monday (not that there really is such thing at The Marlowe!). The fact that there were children everywhere (albeit in an orderly fashion), and noise everywhere (albeit in a hushed fashion), gave it away.
The excitement – and nerves – were palpable in equal measures, and this was some 10 hours before curtain up!
Later in the day, I talked to some of the children in their dressing rooms. There were common themes to what they had to say: as well as the excitement and nerves, they were enjoying being away from the classroom for the day; they’d found Shakespeare’s language difficult to understand and learn (although a group of Year Six pupils from Canterbury Primary pointed out it would help them at secondary school); they couldn’t wait for their family and friends to see them on the stage.
Many of the children had simple but striking observations about their day.
Ryan (10), of Herne Bay Junior School, said he was having great fun because: “Drama takes me out of being a person in real life and makes me someone I would never normally be.”
Taya (13), of The Folkestone Academy, is already considering a career in the performing arts. She said: “I love performing for lots of reasons – there are so many opportunities. I like how the teachers recognise us and put us on stage to show that we are capable of things and that we can achieve.”
Lucy (15), of The Orchard School, admitted she was “petrified”, adding: “I was on stage at primary school and made a fool of myself. It put me down a bit, but this is going to help my confidence and at the end I’m going to be deep red but proud!”
It was The Orchard School’s fourth year of taking part, and Charlene Creaser, subject leader for the performing arts, said she was: “Proud of my cast of seven, and impressed with them; they’ve really engaged with everything that’s been on offer.
When asked about the importance of the AS programme, Charlene didn’t need to think twice: “It develops confidence and their social skills, and helps with their understanding of Shakespeare, which is incredibly important.”
Tom Waterman, Head of Academic Excellence/Lead Teacher at The Folkestone Academy, said the school is in its second year of the AS programme, and everyone was enjoying it: “It’s fantastic for the children to get into a professional space to use the facilities that are around us to make sure that their performance craft is refined.”
He went on: “Theatre is very much overlooked at the moment in the landscape of education, which changes very three to four minutes.
“I think it’s very easily underestimated when you consider the skills of oracy, confidence-building, teamwork, developing the pattern of critical thinking, as well delivering choices that you come to and, in our case, through a process of collaboration and company work which we had installed after our training the RSC.
“I don’t think any of those skills are things which should be swept under the carpet: they are fundamental life skills.”
The excitement and nerves of the young people were mirrored in the evening, as family and friends arrived for the performance. For a huge percentage of the audience, this was their first visit to The Marlowe.
As a mum of two, I will admit that very often (and depending on what sort of day you’ve had), you’re really only there to see your little darling do their thing.
From where I was sitting, this didn’t seem to be the case for this particular performance; and what a joy it was to watch from start to finish. To see all the young people gather on our stage for their curtain calls (there were several) is a wonderful, lasting memory.
For me, the day was summed up by one lad from The Orchard School. When I’d chatted with his friends in their dressing room earlier in the day, he hadn’t been able to look at me, let alone talk with me. A few hours later, that same boy proudly stood on stage and word-perfectly, delivered his lines: just one of many stars born that day.