Let’s Get Together took place in 2009/10 at Southey Green Community Primary School as part of the Creative Partnerships Change programme.

The Enquiry Question was "How can creativity through the arts and technology be used to stimulate wider community involvement?"

 

Programme Theme
The school wanted to investigate whole community involvement within the school, using ICT as a driver.  Musician and digital artist Maxwell Thomas came into the school to stimulate children’s imaginations and thinking about the local area, and also to help develop the ICT skills of the staff and pupils.  Children from Year 1 and Year 5 worked together creating music, dance and artwork for a Southey Carnival week. 

Parents joined the children on an exploration around the estate, starting with the school and going out into the local community and investigating different areas such as; the park, shops, library and fire station.  The children conducted interviews at each of these locations and found out what they were like now, in the past and what they may be like in the future.  Role play weeks were then used to recreate what life would be like in the past and in the future.  A party was held for each era, parents and their children made costumes together and took part in games.

“We have never had so many parents into school before” (Class Teacher)

Children created sonic postcards, collages of recorded sounds gathered from each location.  A drive-through documentary was made about Southey including memories from different years.  Children also created and recorded a song for Southey Green with their parents.

The project culminated in the creation of a time machine, inspired by the exploration of the children's surroundings and housing a collection of short films created by and featuring the children.
A time machine school tour was launched in an exciting celebration assembly with a smoke machine, lights and sound effects, culminating in a time machine visit to the local community library.

In 2010/11 the school will be looking at ways to develop new skills across the whole school staff and how to sustain community involvement.

Key Outcomes
• Increased parental engagement
• A more creative approach to lesson planning and delivery
• Increased pupil confidence and motivation
• Increased pupil attendance in all participating classes

Teacher Comments
• The school saw an impact on community participation when the arts were used in context with that community.

• We feel we have developed new ways of engaging parents and will be building these into our everyday practice.

• Parents seem on the whole to find the teachers more approachable since the project.

• The older children found it liberating to pass on knowledge to the younger children.

• The biggest unexpected outcome was the buzz and continued work that came out of the project after the delivery finished