Project+Outline+-+Arts+Centre+draft

Hannes I am extremely impressed with how accurately you have portrayed the intent of our program. You have stated exactly what Harriet and myself intended at our meeting last week. The challenge now is for all of us to work together to achieve our goals. I am confident that if we do, a major production will be embedded into the culture of our whole school community. Thanks John

Hi folks... this is a bash by me at getting down a comprehensive outline of the project. Far too long for actual submissioin - and some elements would be included under other headings, but I'd welcome your feedback in shaping (and perhaps editing it down) to a consice document. I'm still thrashing out specifics of artist numbers, roles, budgets, etc... Cheers, Hannes

DESCRIPTION: The project will be centred around the mounting of a large-scale music-theatre production by students and staff from Years 3 – 6. The partnering of Arts Centre artists with Moreland Primary School teaching staff in this achievement is intended to both invigorate the establishment of the Performing Arts into the school curriculum and ensure its sustainability. The gaining and development of appropriate performing arts skills and disciplines – for both students and teachers – will be paramount; however student learning opportunities will be extended and the strong cultural diversity of the school community reflected and engaged, through the simple device of retelling a perhaps well-known, theatrical narrative using a non-traditional context and/or performance conventions – e.g. Wizard of Oz, or some other fairytale, retold as a Tale from the Arabian Nights (details of content are still at the conceptual stage and material has not yet been decided upon). This approach would not only provide wide-ranging practical applications for interdisciplinary learning, but also offer opportunities for parent groups – particularly some who are more resistant to the performing arts – to become engaged with both the project and the new Performing Arts curriculum domain.
 * What is it that you propose to do? **

AIMS: · Provide an energetic and comprehensive ‘kickstart’ to the establishment of a Performing Arts stream within the curriculum at Moreland Primary School – coinciding with the inauguration of the school’s BER funded Performing Arts Centre. · Engage and excite students, staff, parents and the wider school community in the challenges and, more importantly, rewards of such an undertaking. · Facilitate the acquiring and advancement of the wide range of skills, knowledge and discipline required by participating students and teachers – and potentially parents – in the presentation of a large scale theatrical production. · Explore and develop appropriate cross-curricular links to extend the depth of student learning in relation to the VELS. · Integrate the wide cultural demographic of the school community into the fabric of the project – in terms of both student learning and parental enthusiasm. · Establish a solid infrastructure within the school community to ensure the sustainability of a Performing Arts curriculum and the regular mounting ‘whole of school’ theatrical productions.

EARLY 2010: · Project design and mapping – Principal & core staff from Moreland PS, Arts Centre Outreach team & key artists. TERM 1: · Arts Centre staff & teaching artists deliver PD sessions for Moreland PS teaching staff – provide overview of project; set goals, provide up-skilling in production management techniques and/or performance skills; allay fears; develop cross-curricular strategies; delegate areas of responsibility. TERM 2: · Moreland PS teaching staff commence units of study within the broader curriculum that will inform, and provide links to, the theatrical production which will begin in earnest in Semester 2 – e.g. study of fairytales or other narratives of cultural significance; critical thinking exercises built around context or universal versus the specific. · Arts Centre teaching artists run a short series of performing arts workshops with Years 3 – 6 students – basic drama, dance, design, storytelling – designed to initiate and develop skills and enthusiasm, but also provide an indication of student strengths, interests, limitations – in terms of effective management of student learning during production. TERM 3: · Arts Centre artists begin regular weekly workshops with all students and staff involved in the production – Introduce the text/script and musical elements; explore alternate contextual realities in retelling the story; introduce more specific performing arts workshops applicable to the shape and direction of the production – including design elements. Ultimately, in terms of roles and responsibilities for the show, students will be grouped according to interest and ability – i.e. those who aren’t comfortable performing would be responsible for props, or lighting, etc – however, all students will have exposure to the full range of production elements at this stage. · Moreland teaching staff continue to integrate the project into other areas of the curriculum – e.g. art classes building on principals established during theatrical design workshops. · Arts Centre staff provide ongoing PD for Moreland PS staff, where appropriate, on project management, but also introduce elements of stage management, operation & safety of stage lighting, etc. ·  Shape of production, casting of roles, allotment of tasks and duties to be finalized by end of term. TERM 4: · Weekly rehearsals in earnest – both with visiting Arts Centre artists and with teaching staff in-between those visits. Design elements –set, props, costume, lights sound, etc – finalized and constructed. · Encouragement of parental support – assist with rehearsals, set construction, etc. <span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">·  Students responsible for sound design visit Alfred Brash SoundHouse at the Arts Centre to produce final recording for performance. <span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· Mid-November: students perform several performances of the production across 2-3 days.
 * The key steps in the collaborative process. **

OUTCOME: <span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· 80 students from Years 3 – 6 will have produce and presented several performances of a theatrical production to be viewed and celebrated by the wider school community. <span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· The production will incorporate the following elements – narrative, characterisation, text, physical and visual storytelling, singing & music, dance, set/prop/costume design and construction, stage management, lighting and sound design & operation – the responsibility of which will have rested as much as possible with the students themselves.
 * The public outcome that the project might culminate in. **