Project List
Bordesley Green East Childrens centre
Birmingham Creative Partnerships
Click for details....
National University of the Arts, South Korea
Looking for Yoghurt
I have been heavily involved in a major Writers in Schools project during the last four years, called Write On. Much of the work from this is posted on the site.
Write On is a continuation of an Arts Council funded project originally run in Archbishop Ilsley School [See recent projects] It involves a team of writers in establishing creative writing projects, working usually with one class for an extended period. The project is administered by the Birmingham Book Festival.
Last term I was working once again with Year 2 at Parkfield School in Wolverhampton. Sometimes the work we have done is posted on the site, and some can be seen by clicking here...
This is true for almost all the schools involved over the course of the project. Just click on the name of the school.
The schools in which I have worked since 2001 are Aston Tower School, Yardley School, Mansfield Green School, Parkfield School, [Wolverhampton] .Deykin Avenue School,, Castle Bromwich Infants, Kingshurst Infants, Chase Terrace and Chadsmoor schools in Staffordshire, and Birmingham or Solihull schools: Alcott Hall , Coleshill Heath , St Catherine of Siena, St Johns, New Hall, St Teresa's, Cherry Orchard, Hawthorn, College High School, Blakenhale, Uffculme, St Albans, Mayfield Our Lady's, Wilkes Green Infants, St James, Handsworth, St Vincents, Adderley. Chivenor Primary School, Greenholm Primary School, Clifton Infants and Greet Primary School.
There was also a creative writing project for teachers, part of which was also run 'virtually'. This ran from January - March 2002, as a pilot project, with me as the tutor. The take-up was very small, but it was an interesting new departure.
Birmingham REP - Family Learning
As referred to above, I am now in the third year of a spell as Early Years Development Worker at Birmingham REP, funded by Birmingham Family Learning Service. This is an exciting project, getting work for the very young on the agenda of the REP, and delivering a fair amount of interesting work in a wide range of settings....
Brays Special School
I have an ongoing link with Brays which has involved a number of extended projects since The Shooky. Currently we are developing Sensory Story Packs together.
Through Creative Partnerships, I have been working in this Infants School in Wednesbury, working alongside staff to support their creative curriculum. This has been a really enjoyable project, with the school an impressive one, already well committed to creative work. I particularly enjoy the way each class has an 'imaginary friend' of its own....
Bordesley Green East Children's Centre
Another staff development project, working for five days alongside staff developing approaches to story-making.
The Key Centre, Minerva Centre and Ashbourne Centre
In the summer I was back in these three PRUs, working on story-making, as well as performing The Sun and Moon. This is a short project repeating what we did in the centres during the Spring Term 2006, which involved making up stories...like The Rainbow and the Snake
Hae Wa Dal - the story of Sun and Moon
With money from a Creative Ambitions grant from West Midlands Arts, I created a performance of this Korean folk tale, for KS1 and 2 pupils in 2003. The piece was developed through work with Choi Young Ai [Professor of Children's Drama at the Korean National University of the Arts] and puppeteer Clive Chandler. Design is by Craig Denston, with extra input coming from Kazekhstani-Korean musician Mira Yugai, and from Yang Hye Jung. The piece is directed by Ali Belbin, has been performed widely since 2003, and is now available for performance.
Most performances are in schools. There was a rare public appearance at the Buxton Puppet Festival in July 2005.
[The Sun and Moon is now available for booking in schools etc]
I have a number of bookings coming up for my giant puppets, most famous of which Big Sid, has his own page on this website. As well as him, I now have his companion Bella, and with my friend Clive Chandler, we also have fantastic Giant Punch and Judy figures for processions and big events. The most recent addition to the family is Brother Sid, who looks remarkably like Big Sid, but wearing a habit. He has made rousing appearances recently in Mediaeval Fairs at Ludlow, Cricklade , and Much Wenlock. He has recently been joined by his religious relation Brother Sid, who will next be appearing at Ludlow Mediaeval Fair on November 25th -26th 2006.
