Summer Term
The final term concentrated on the creation of a site specific dance piece that was to be presented at the Royal Festival Hall and Siobhan Davies Studios. The term started off with a visit to the Imperial War Museum where the pupils looked at different approaches to creating displays. They made decisions about how their work from the project, photographs and pictures should be presented at the final performances, thinking about size, levels, colours and areas of the building. Jasmine Pasch, director of Phew and creative dance and play specialist, worked with the group both in the studio, in the playground and in the green spaces to explore the freedom of movement and how play could be taken back in to the dance studio to create choreography.
“Primary Bank was a unique and special experience that the children and adults involved will cherish. The children were immersed in dance and movement, physically and academically, from the beginning. New techniques were introduced all through the project, liking different mediums with our own curriculum. The children were never bored and continually enthusiastic. Learning through creative fun, inspired each child in different ways and it was extremely rewarding to see the children flourish in the safe environment. The project has had a long lasting impact on the children and many hope to continue to develop their skills next year.” Adam Graham, 5G (class teacher)
Primary Bank a 'Personal Reflection'
“As a teacher I am always open to new innovations and ideas that both broaden the curriculum and widen the range of experiences that our children can have. Even so, I did begin our ‘journey’ through Primary Bank with a degree of trepidation, not only because of the length of the project, but also the context of modern dance was one I thought the children might struggle with. I believe I was truly lucky with many aspects of the project, namely and perhaps most importantly a group of children who gave it their all from day one up until the final performance. Their enthusiasm, dedication and energy was something I will never forget and it will remain with me as one of the most abiding memories of my time in teaching.”
“Next, the dancers, artists, photographers and all at Siobhan Davies whose patience and genuine love for what they were doing came across to the children at all times, making the experience so much more rewarding for all of them, and finally the support and help from many of my colleagues at school, Adam, Ellen and Chris who took on a great deal more than they had to because of my situation.”
“The many individual trips, performances and practical activities the children enjoyed throughout the year were good enough reasons for Primary Bank to be considered a success, but the last few weeks culminating in the performances at the Royal Festival Hall and in the dance studio were of such a high quality that it is difficult to find the right words to express the pride and admiration I felt as their class teacher.”
“If I am honest there was another emotion that played a part in those two great occasions as well….jealousy, not of the children, not in the slightest, just a thought of how wonderful it would have been to take part in a project like this when I had been their age. I don’t often yearn to be a child again but I can honestly say this is one time I would have given everything to have swapped places with them.”
“I cannot end this very personal look back without mentioning the two people whom without their total commitment to the project there probably would not even have been a project. Kath and Rachel showed me another way to reach a number of my class, a way that enriched both their school lives and their attitudes to many activities that they would never have even given a second thought to before we started Primary Bank. I would like to put on my record my thanks to you with the added hope that I may repeat the experience of working with you again sometime in the future.” Steve J Brickell 5B (class teacher)
