‘Projects like this contribute to great arts in Basingstoke. Parents were delighted. They love watching their children perform. The words ‘excellent’ were used a lot.’
Headteacher of Marnel Junior School, Basingstoke
We run a renowned education programme throughout Hampshire and the South of England.
With a strong reputation for high quality dance education work, we deliver short and long term participatory projects, from workshops, residences and performances. We’ve worked with over 260 schools across Hampshire and Berkshire, with 16 of these schools devising long-term two to three year projects focusing on improving health, wellbeing and diversity. For many years we’ve worked with the Commonwealth Education Department, fostering cultural understanding through workshops covering multiple artistic practices.
Our programme caters for Key Stages 1 through 4, as well as the post-16 years curriculum. Kala The Arts has been used to enhance teaching curriculum content in Music, Dance, Religious Education, Art and Physical Education. We also offer programmes for cultural or creative arts projects, costume making and performance appreciation.
“Thank you for bringing visual arts and Rangoli for our year 8 students. They learnt a lot about [Diwali] through this project.”
Tim, Poet and Visual Arts teacher, Vyne School
Our vibrant education programme encourages awareness of the different forms of South Asian dance and music for a contemporary audience. With more than 25 years’ of experience, we’ve provided training for teachers, head teachers, health workers, primary care workers, museum staff, parents, community workers, venues, cultural providers and politicians. Indeed, people of all backgrounds, ages and abilities are invited to join us, and in 2024 and beyond we will be planning new programmes for many of these groups.
Kala The Arts are trained in the Artsmark award and work with partner organisations to provide the award for schools. Our active trustees regularly review our policies and hold the relevant insurance policies to work with young people and events management.
Packed full of fun, creative activities, our workshops introduce children to many styles of dance, from Contemporary to Bollywood and Indian classical dance. Our team of artists will inspire them to move and think more creatively. We’ll meet National Curriculum objectives for creative movement, dance, music and community cohesion, promoting physical activity and self esteem along the way. We also help students and teachers develop performing skills.
For KS 3 and 4, pupils are given more scope to shape the sessions and are invited to collaborate with Kala artists to create their own choreography. We understand the importance of adding value to the National Curriculum, and can offer both short and long term projects to fit curriculum requirements across RE, PE and Art.
As part of our flagship Diwali Light It Up parade, we offer workshops to local schools each autumn, delving into the visual arts of Rangoli on canvas and storytelling through Dance and Music sessions. Use our contact form to find out more.
In autumn 2012 we worked with local schools, colleges and communities to deliver Parampara workshops. Parampara, a Sanskrit word for traditions, looked at the heritage of Odissi, one of the oldest surviving dance forms in existence. In this cross-generational programme, groups took part in dance and music workshops with older members sharing their experiences and memories of Odissi Dance at events and festivities. The groups were shown traditional Odissi clothing, exploring their symbolic significance and how each item is worn.
The programme culminated in a live show, giving pupils the opportunity to share what they had learnt with family and friends, developing self esteem and confidence through dance.
‘It was a completely new experience for the children. They saw how much fun it was and how controlled they had to be to work together to create the right effect.’ – Jo Binmore, Fort Hill Community School
Parampara was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.
In February 2012 we worked with pupils across four schools in Basingstoke to create an Indian Dance Festival. In just one day, pupils from For Hill Community School, Winklebury Infants and Junior Schools and Castle Hill Infants School each worked with Kala professional dancers to learn a new dance and perform it that night for an audience of family and friends. The event was a great success with pupils performing Kathak, Bollywood and Indian Hip-Hop dances after just a few hours of rehearsals.
Kala The Arts’ Youth Dance group was made up of pupils from four Hampshire schools: Marnel Infant and Junior schools, Castle Hill Infant school and Everest College. Across regular workshops with Kala’s professional dancers and artists, each school created their own performance, drawing on inspiration from Bollywood, Slumdog Millionaire and their own dreams and imagination. The programme culminated with a night at Haymarket Theatre in Basingstoke, showcasing the schools’ live music and dance performances.
“…It was very interesting to see close up performances with such lovely personalities on show. It was youthful and charming. The dancers had a lovely engagement with both the work and camera. Because there were close ups which showed faces and eyelines, the dancers could connect even more with narrative elements…”
U.Dance judge
‘The project brought together children from different ethnic backgrounds who worked together gaining insight into one specific area of Indian culture. It raised the profile and self esteem of Indian children within the community. It provided opportunities for the children to perform and for the whole school to be the audience. It provided great cause for celebration. All of the children experienced a great sense of achievement. For one child whose attendance is poor it has improved her attendance considerably as she obviously enjoyed it.’
Headteacher of Marnel Infants school, Basingstoke
‘I thought it was great and it was a good opportunity to get us healthy and fit and I would like to say thank-you to Sushmita and Geeta for teaching us such a great dance.’
Pupil from Castle Hill Junior School, Basingstoke
For more information about our education workshops and residencies, contact our Admin Officer admin@kalathearts.co.uk
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