BURBERRY INSPIRE: YEAR 1
Burberry Inspire is a pioneering four-year programme giving Key Stage 3 students from 8 schools across Yorkshire creative and inspiring experiences that they wouldn’t normally have access to.
In Year 1, Leeds Playhouse were partnered with UAK and South Craven School. We were really happy to be able to deliver a range of in curriculum sessions focussing on drama, creative writing, calligraphy and music, as well as after school drama clubs. We also took our production of ‘Partition’ by Nick Ahad into schools for all Key Stage 3 students to see.
In July 2019, we were excited for students to perform both in their schools, and at Leeds City Museum in a Cultural Runway, which championed the work of all 8 schools taking part in the project.
‘We are a huge school that is growing. We do a lot of drama and performance already but the type of work we do is largely dictated by the curriculum. Working with Leeds Playhouse we were able to do some more experimental pieces.’ Teacher, South Craven
‘It was amazing. What a show! I’ve been blown away by what the students have produced.’ Audience feedback, Cultural Runway.
BURBERRY INSPIRE: YEAR 2
In September 2019, Leeds Playhouse were excited to begin the second year of Burberry Inspire working with Co-op Academy Leeds and The Ruth Gorse Academy. To kick off, experiences included street dance master classes, a collaborative Year 9 Performing Arts project led by artists in residence, and a trip for students to see The Wizard of Oz at Leeds Playhouse. In the new year the journey continued with after school drama clubs, a choir, dance lessons, creative writing classes and a trip to The Royal Armouries.
Sadly, our plans after this had to change, and Leeds Playhouse were unable to continue delivering sessions when schools closed. Instead, we made a film called ‘Unfinished Journeys’ which celebrated all of the hard work that the students from both schools had put in so far. The faces you see in the film are those of professional actors, but all of the words they speak were written by students, we’re really proud of what they achieved in the short time we had with them.
