We’re all busy at the best of times but our Twelve Days of (Creative) Christmas UK Tour really knocked our legs from under us so we’ve only went and launched #ARTCONNECTS19 before we finished building it!
It’s a co-created festival - we need you to help us finish it and make it yours. To make it ours.
To co-create the UK’s First Nationwide Festival of Creativity by running a Local Art Event.
It’ll be what you make it.
We announced the first speakers, venues and early bird tickets here at midday on New Year’s Day and they’re going like hot cross buns.
GET YOUR TICKETS NOW FOR:
Tickets for events 1-10 Feb 2019:
Thurs 31st Jan: Parliament Launch tickets
Fri 8th: Pop- Up STEAM Co. Day tickets
Mon 4th-Fri 8th: Local Art Events info
Fri 8th: BrewEd Social
Sat 9th : Creative Schools Day tickets
Sat 9th: #DANCECONNECTS
Sun 10th: Family Creative Work/Lives Day
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Do you believe? Or want to?
We’ve held regional launch events in Liverpool, Sunderland and Ironbridge and a Festival weekend in London. Now it’s time to join it all, us, together.
“YOU’RE HERE BECAUSE YOU BELIEVE IN CREATIVITY AND THE ARTS
THAT’S RIGHT ISN’T IT?”
Said Geoff Barton, the School Leaders’ Leader from ASCL at our FIrst Festival of Creativity in London in Feb 2018.
YES? THESE 10 DAYS ARE FOR YOU
Concerned about the plight of arts education in our schools.
Passionate about creativity, people and our children's futures?
Looking for some inspiration, ideas and to connect with likeminds?
Heard and said enough. Want to do, and even be part of, something?
We’ll that’s the plan. To build on our first weekend festival with a week long, nationwide festival 1-10 Feb 2019 and we want you to join us, even if you can’t come to London for the knees up.
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ACROSS THE NATION
We want to inspire Schools and Communities across the UK to run small events during the week under the #ARTCONNECTS banner - art shows, concerts, hackathons, dances and other gatherings where you celebrate your art.
Then, we’d love to see everyone come down to London for a big weekend of short talks, activities and a dance.
THE #ARTCONNECTS19 WEEK
Scheduled as a week of activity across the UK 1-10 Feb 2019 with a weekend climax in London 8-10 Feb:
Thur 31st Jan - Parliament Launch
Sat 2nd - #ARTofROCKETS Pop-Up
Sun 3rd - #ILOVEART Pop-Up
Mon 4th to Fri 8th - Nationwide events
Fri 8th Day - A STEAM Co. Day for schools
Fri 8th Eve - #BrewEdSocial
Sat 9th Day - Creative Schools Day
Sat 9th Eve - #DanceConnects party
Sun 10th Day - STEAM Co. Family Funday
Saturday and Sunday will be days of short talks, performances and activities for all the family. This is not an academic event, but a Festival with parents, teachers and other creative carers sitting side by side, without the mud and camping.
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SAT 9TH FEB : CREATIVE SCHOOL DAY
TEACHING CREATIVITY AND TEACHING CREATIVELY
We’re delighted that this day is being generously hosted by TES School of the Year and Creative and Performing Arts Specialist School, Kensington Aldridge Academy at the foot of Grenfell Tower, West London.
A school which specialises in 21st Century Skills like Creativity and Entrepreneurship, with its own on site innovation hub -’Kensington Creates’.
We have the most inspiring day of Short Talks, Performances, Workshops and Activities for Teachers, Parents and other Creative Carers.
SPEAKER LINE UP
The current speaker line up is as follows:
TES Creative School of the Year : Steve Cook, Formby High School
Chester West - Where Creativity Lives
A STEAM curriculum : David Alan-Wearing, Kelsall School
Co-creating ‘Adrift’ - Jessica Egan-Simon - Action Transport Theatre
Building Learning Power - Andy Moor - St Bernards/Ignite TSA
TBC - Whitworth Gallery
Dance in Schools : Julie Guile, House of Dance/Story House Live
Celebrity Connects : Andria Zafirakou/Armando Alemnar, Artists in Residence
TES Creative Schools Debate : Ed Dorrell, TES
Creativity/Knowledge/Skills/Trads/Progs : Tim Browse, brainED
The Red School : Dave Strudwick, Plymouth School of Creative Arts
Inspiring ‘School Change w/ Creative Arts’: Prof Pat Thomson, Univ Notts
Bringing Ada to Life : Zoe Philpot, Ada Ada Ada
Outpacing the Robots
The skills our kids need : Simon Kidwell, Cheshire NAHT
Entrepreneurship : Tom Ulander - KAA ‘Kensington Creates’ innovation hub
The Art of Teaching - a look at best in class creativity in our schools
Art of Music - Jimmy Rotherham, Global Teacher nominee on teaching music
Art Of Art - Melanie Cox, HT Gomersal Primary on how they use art
Art Of Books - Simon Smith and his picture book magic
ART of Community – Chris Tolson, Academy St James, Bradford
DanceConnects : Action House Dance Co. on their electrifying show ‘Charge
’Teaching Creatively? - a selection of leading educators discuss their approach:
Playing with Fire : Mike Fairclough, West Rise Primary
School at Home : Nikki O’Rourke, Home Educator
Project Based Learning : Nick Osbourne, Maritime Academy Trust
Literacy Through Film Making : Dom Traynor, A Tale Unfolds
Design Thinking and Doing
The Battle for Design and Tech in our Schools - Tony Ryan, DTA
Ventura competition : TBC, Design Museum on their
Design for Life : Vinay Patel, Kensington Aldridge Academy
MON 4TH - FRI 8TH FEB : LOCAL EVENTS
We want to see schools businesses and other organisations across the UK run small, local events under the #ARTCONNECTS19 banner to celebrate how art connects in their communities. We’ll send you logos and branding and share your art on social media.
“Let’s Ask What If?
Let’s Start a Creativity Revolution”
Darren Henley
CEO Arts Council England
Speaking in Sunderland in October 2017
Our travels to school communities across the UK this year have shown us that art is alive and kicking and we need to keep it that way.
We’ve seen school plays, art exhibitions, STEAM Festivals. One of the most special moments was on a cold damp morning in a rural Sunderland on a #RocketKids visit when we heard music coming from the next room.
We want this aspect of #ARTCONNECTS19 to be a celebration of that, our art.
WHAT WILL YOU DO?
There are many things that you can do in your school community during the week.
Here are a just a few few ideas, based on what we’ve seen on our travels this year:
Art show
Display some of your art. But this is not for private views, invite your community in.
Like Alperton Community School did here.
Dance
As Kenneth Tharpe says “Dance Connects us deeply to ourselves”.
So why not run a knees up like Dr Peter Lovatt does.
Performance
Put on a play at school or in a community centre.
St Bernard’s Primary up in Ellesmere Port mixed art and theatre at the Adrift premiere.
Hackathon
Get your community coding, run a day or weekend session.
Like the Liverpool Studio School’s Game Jam
Concert
Hold a concert or performances in your school church or community centre.
We’ll never forget seeing Roy Ayers at St Saviour’s
Open studio
If you’re an artist, a creative with your own studio, why not invite your community in?
Like the 170 artists at Kindred Studios in West London do.
COMMUNITY SCREENING
Show the inspiring creative education documentary ‘Most Likely to Succeed’.
Have a discussion about what education might look like.
STEAM FAMILY FUNDAY
Why not run a STEAM Co. Day for your community.
Look what happened when STEAM Co went to help at one in Teesside.
DREAM BIG. ACT NOW
Were you as inspired by Liverpool’s Giant Spectacular by Royal De Luxe as we were?
Why not get some boxes and DIY one in your community?
KEEP THE VIBE ALIVE WITH OUR ARTCONNECTS VIDEO BLOGS
We have about 50 video blogs in the can to send out over the weeks as we build up to our big week in February.
Here’s a taster of what’s to come so, for now, sit back and let Winnie and Geoff blow you away with their generous contributions from last year.
"It's not about funding, but allowing humans to be more human"
We really didn't expect, but were delighted by this call to arms to parents, teachers and businesses from the schools leaders' leader Geoff Barton, General Secretary of ASCL talking about the importance of, yet pressure on creativity, and arts education in UK Schools.
And you’ll be blown away by what happened when Science teacher Winnie Greer walked on stage!
Get a feel for this inspiring day from the photos above and see the complete photo gallery here.
What's in it for you:
Parents - find out why creativity is so important and compare your school options. Ensure your kids stand the best chance against the robots and artificial intelligence.
Teachers - see how primary and secondary schools teach creativity and teach creatively. Be inspired to try it.
Creatives - celebrate your art and share it with and be inspired by others. See how you can work with schools.
Businesses - come and meet your community and find out how you can collaborate with them for creativity. You might even sponsor us or help runa STEAM Co. Day before the festival.
Children - we will have a some creative activities for delegates and speakers children (aged 6 - 14) such as puppetry, newspaper engineering, paper rockets, t-shirt design and printing. Tickets are required and parents/carers much remain with their children.
THANKS TO THEM. But now it’s your turn
While we’re lining up partners and sponsors for next year’s event, this is probably a good time to thank all the generous companies, organisations and people who helped make the first #ARTCONNECTS Festival happen.
Do get in touch above if you’d like to be part of the next one.
WHO ARE STEAM CO.?
STEAM CO. PROVIDES INSPIRATION AND RESOURCES FOR COMMUNITIES TO RUN STEAM CO. DAYS.
Seven years ago, a group of carers (people who care about creativity - like parents, artists, techs, employers and teachers) were inspired by a TED talk and half a book to run a Creativity Festival in our children’s primary school.
We'd met some lovely creative people in a field who let us call ourselves 'The Little House of Fairy Tales'.
Four years ago, we realised we were growing up and weren't little or about fairies and changed our name.
STEAM Co. was born.
We were aware of both the value of creativity, yet the challenges faced in UK schools, and saw an opportunity to bring the conversation out of education’s echo chambers by connecting schools, businesses and the wider community.
After a wonderful response from across the board and events in Liverpool, Sunderland, Ironbridge, Norwich, etc, a non-profit community enterprise STEAM Co CIC was founded to Put Creativity First in our Schools, Work and Lives:
Quite simply we exist to:
Advocate - to fight creativity’s corner, educating anyone who doesn’t get it
Inspire - to run events showcasing the power of creativity, tech and people
Action - to give communities the resources to inspire their children with creativity.
This event will advocate and inspire by celebrating the power of creativity, tech and people to engage children, innovate business and connect communities.
It's always about one thing... Connection
If you're intrigued by the event, and haven't seen this inspiring 60 second film by Seth Godin talking about how art connects, do watch it now.
It’s a big part of what got us here.
Yes, it’s your turn. Let’s do this together.