Archive> Early Years & Primary Projects Previous Projects

Rip, Fold Scrunch 2010• Extended Schools Project • Baa Moo Yellow Dog 09 • The Arrival • Reflections • Icicle Bicyle • Touching Science • Sensory Journeys • Igloo Hullabaloo • My Friend Snow • Grubs, Slugs & Boogie Bugs • Baa Moo Yellow Dog • Books To Life • Summer Days Out

Jump to a specific project by using the links above or scroll down to read them all.

For more information on any aspect of our Early Years & Primary work please call 020 7265 8138 or email the Projects Manager

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Rip, Fold, Scrunch - Early Years Outreach 2010

The programme encompassed four multi-sensory workshops, a trip to Half Moon to see the play Rip, Fold, Scrunch and substantial legacy for participating staff, children and families.

Rip, Fold, Scrunch is a play especially created for ages 2-5 as part of Exchange For Change 2009. The artists involved worked closely with a local nursery group to create a captivating play that stimulates and reflects the imagination of the very young. The themes of friendship, music and the creative play of children which are explored in the play were reflected in the workshop programme.
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Specialist INSET (Half Moon and LABAN)
Creative Ideas for Primary Teaching: Dance & Drama
Friday 20 November
10.00am - 4.30pm
Held at LABAN, Creekside, London SE8 3DZ

Our Associate Director Angela Michaels co-led a really successful INSET day with Kit Smith a freelance dance practitioner attached to LABAN. Half Moon regularly run INSET sessions for teachers and other theatre professionals. This practical one day course provided those new to leading dance and drama activities with the confidence to deliver fun, creative sessions. The day focused on sharing transferable skills.

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Extended Schools Project
A Half Moon project developed in collaboration with Extended Schools Partnership.

Working with Manorfield and Mayflower Primary Schools, Half Moon ran 8 after school sessions with each group of children from years 3 – 6 exploring different stops along the DLR. This involved jumping back in time to discover what life was like during King Henry VIII's reign at Tower Gateway and how the dockyards used to be 100 years ago. The children worked with a team of drama facilitators, a musician and a designer to produce their own play which was then performed at Langdon Park Secondary School.

Half Moon have worked with Tower Hamlets Extended Schools on several projects and have the expertise and experienced tutors necessary to create projects tailored to a school's needs. So let us know if you have an idea for an after-school project.
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Baa Moo Yellow Dog 2009 - Early Years Outreach The first four months of 2009 saw Half Moon's experienced tutors delivering an exciting workshop programme across 28 groups in Tower Hamlets and Camden Children's Centres and Schools.

The workshop programme began with a training session for staff to empower them and ensure a legacy at the end of the project. Each Early Years group then had four 1-hour sessions of creative learning through multi sensory workshops, and saw a performance of Baa Moo Yellow Dog at Half Moon or a local centre.

Here is some feedback from groups that participated in Baa Moo Yellow Dog 2009:

"The children became more confident to join in and give ideas"

“The staff were very friendly and warm, and I would recommend these workshops to other mothers in my centre.”
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The Arrival 2008/09

The Arrival was a two phase project between Half Moon, Thomas Buxton Junior School and Swanlea Secondary School. The project consisted of individual workshops in each school using practical drama and theatre work to develop the young people's skills, knowledge and creativity.

Working with Year 5's from Thomas Buxton school and Years 7 - 9 from Swanlea school, all of the students used as a stimulus The Arrival, a graphic novel that explores migration and settlement by Shaun Tan. The groups responded to this material through a combination of drama sessions, as well as working with a musician and choreographer to create a music track and movement piece.

The work concluded with an opportunity for the young people from the two schools to come together at Half Moon to share what they have done and create a new piece of work together.

At the end of the day the participants were asked to create a sculpture based on the question "What has been important to you today?"
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Reflections

Reflections was an exciting participatory drama project which took place at 5 Schools in the Spring term 2008. This project used creative and innovative ways to develop communication and interaction and to explore the concepts of identity and self-image with children on the autistic spectrum. This was achieved through close consultation and collaboration with teachers at the schools involved.

With particular emphasis on inclusion and access, the title Reflections indicates the project's focus on self observation and understanding.

The project was led by a team of highly experienced drama and music tutors working with a video artist. It comprised of a series of five experiential, cross-arts drama workshops designed to encourage the children to make creative explorations of their physical, emotional and social identities. Four developmental workshops took place at each school and the final session took the form of a multi-sensory installation workshop at Phoenix School. In addition, throughout the project there was a joint scheme of work planned with teachers at participating schools.

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Icicle Bicycle

From November 2007 to March 2008, Half Moon offered local Children's Centres, Nurseries and Primary Schools early years workshop programmes linked to the company's professional play for 2 to 6 year olds, Icicle Bicycle. The programme was tailored to each centre and used as a stimulus the participants' experience and response to this especially commissioned professional theatre piece.

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Touching Science

Touching Science was a multi-sensory drama project exploring biomedical science with children aged 3 to 7 of all abilities. By building on the 'Eureka Moments' experienced by children as they develop a knowledge and understanding of the world, this project helped them make a creative connection with science and to develop a curiosity for the social and ethical issues relating to advances in biomedical science.

The project comprised experiential, cross-arts drama workshops in the children's own settings, as well as a culminative installation at Half Moon's theatre space, developed by theatre artists and a writer using the technical resources, including lighting, sound and special effects.

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Sensory Journeys

This was a multi-sensory project that used creative and innovative participatory drama to support teachers in delivering "Knowledge and Understanding of the World" within the Foundation Stage curriculum. With a focus on "Exploration and Investigation" children were introduced to scientific ideas as they developed themes and narratives to create an imaginative journey of discovery. This 9-week project involved working with over 30 schools and children centres, and included targeted work with children in early years settings with profound, multiple and sensory disabilities, as well as those operating within the autistic spectrum. Sessions were led by a team of highly experienced drama and music tutors, and included working with a lighting and sound designer.

The programme comprised of a series of five experiential, cross-arts drama workshops and a legacy training session for staff once the workshops were completed. The central focus of the programme was a multi-sensory installation at Half Moon.

Through these creative encounters children reacted with the full range of the theatre's technical resources including lighting, sound and special effects. They were helped to make connections with their environment by working both individually and in groups to change the physical space in the theatre using a wide range of textures and shapes. Combining live music, movement and the spoken word, activities included interactive play with mirrors, shadows, echoes and projection work.

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Igloo Hullabaloo

From November 2006 to March 2007, Half Moon offered local Children's Centres, Nurseries and Primary Schools early years workshop programmes linked to the company's professional play for 2 to 7 year olds, Igloo Hullabaloo. The programme was tailored to each centre and used as a stimulus the participants' experience and response to this especially commissioned professional theatre piece.

The programme included:

• Training sessions and INSET days, providing practical experience for teachers and Children's Centre staff of using drama to meet Early Years goals and Children's Centre objectives.
  
• Multi-sensory workshops, led by specialist tutors with particular expertise in Early Years delivery, in children’s own pre-school or Children's Centre setting. Workshops focus on developing self-esteem and communication and encouraging creative and collaborative play.
  
• Support materials: a colour illustrated storybook based on the play for every child taking part in the project.

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Grubs, Slugs and Boogie Bugs

This was a five week programme linked to Half Moon’s professional play Grubs, Slugs and Boogie Bugs. The programme included a training session for all play and care workers. All participants were given a colour illustrated story book of the play to keep.

Baa Moo Yellow Dog

This was a five week programme linked to Half Moon’s professional play Baa Moo Yellow Dog. The programme included a training session for all play and care workers. All participants were given a colour illustrated story book of the play to keep.

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Books To Life - drama workshops using children’s literature as a stimulus for creative play.

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Summer Days Out - a series of sessions reinforcing children’s experience of day-trips with their schools or playgroups.

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