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Year 7 students in school uniform exploring the boxes at City Varieties Music Hall.

Learning and Engagement Newsletter Autumn 2023

Summer Term Highlights

Secondary School Engagement

Earlier this term, we welcomed 11 Year 10 students from South Craven School to take part in a work experience week at Leeds Heritage Theatres. The aim was to explore a wide variety of non-performing job roles in the theatre in depth and for students to have a go for themselves. Throughout the week, the participants took on many different roles across General Management, Front of House, Technical and Admin and had full creative control over a mock theatre production. The end of the project saw the groups present their thoughts and ideas from the week to Leeds Heritage Theatres staff. By the end of the week, their self-confidence and problem-solving skills had greatly improved.

Read about our work experience offer

“Once in a lifetime opportunity.”

South Craven School Pupil

A group of young people stand on stage at City Varieties Music Hall to plot lighting for their designed production

A group of young people plotting lighting for their designed production during work experience.

Three year 10 pupils giving a presentation in front of an audience.

A group of students presenting their project work at the end of the work experience week.

Throughout the year, we have partnered with Trinity Academy Leeds to deliver World of Work workshops with their Year 7 students, where they have the opportunity to explore various creative careers in the theatre and take on some of these roles. We look forward to continuing this partnership in September with some new exciting opportunities.

Find out more about our KS3 workshops

Year 7 pupils on the stage at City Varieties, they are smiling and laughing.

Year 7 students during a tour of City Varieties Music Hall. Credit Chris Werrett

Six year 7 pupils sat around a table in the learning suite creating a mood board together.

Year 7 students during a World of Work workshop. Credit Chris Werrett

Primary School Engagement

Throughout the summer term, we piloted a series of Hyde Park Picture House workshops (Foley, Shadow Puppets and Zoetropes) with local primary schools. Foley saw Year 1 explore pitch, dynamics and tempo with their body and props. Pupils created their own instrument to accompany a film. For our Shadow Puppets workshop, Year 3 discovered how shadows are formed and how the size can be changed. The class made their own shadow puppets similar to those used in older films and demonstrated them to the class. In the Zoetropes workshop, Year 5 explored this early form of animation and looked at how animation has changed over the years, before designing and making their own zoetropes.

In June, Year 5s from Churwell Primary School visited us at Leeds Grand Theatre for an Ancient Greeks vs Victorians workshop. The class were immersed in the world of theatre and left able to identify changes and similarities in theatre over time with a focus on audiences, types of performance and design. Through a series of freeze frames, the class created an Ancient Greek amphitheatre to explore different performance types including mask work, Greek chorus and storytelling.

“We loved both the workshop and the tour – workshop allowed children to practice drama skills and theatre tour was a great opportunity for questions and answers.”

Teacher, Churwell Primary School

Year 3s from Netherthong Primary School visited us for a Spotlights and Sound Effects workshop. The children explored the real-world application of science in the theatre. Through a series of drama games, they learned how the pitch and dynamics of sound can be changed. After exploring the effect that light and sound have on a performance in groups, they made shadow puppets and with them performed a scene they had created to the group.

“It was great. The children enjoyed making shadow puppets and having the opportunity to create their own shadow puppet show.”

Teacher, Netherthong Primary School

Primary school students have made an amphitheatre by sitting on stools, some participants are wearing masks and fabric pretending to be actors on stage.

Ancient Greek vs Victorian theatre workshop with Churwell Primary. Credit Sarah Winstanley

Children using their shadow puppets behind a screen. There are children watching.

Spotlights and Sound Effects workshop with Netherthong Primary. Credit Sarah Winstanley

Leeds Grand Youth Theatre presents: The Addams Family 

Our cast of 50 young people aged 8-18yrs took to the City Varieties stage this July with the spooky and comical musical The Addams Family, a show that embraces the wackiness in every family.

The young people worked with a professional production team, that included Artistic Director, Lizi Patch, Choreographer, Dawn Holgate and Musical Director, Pete Rosser, as well as our own Leeds Heritage Theatres technicians. The cast performed three shows to sell out audiences.

As well as featuring the main family, first seen in the 1930’s, the ensemble were given full autonomy over their characters as ancestors, developing characters they could bring to life on stage.

A close-up of a group of performers holding their hands to their chests and singing

Addams Ancestors sing along to Full Disclosure. Credit Chris Coote

Uncle fester is singing up to the moon in the sky on stage. The ancestors are are surrounding covered in foliage.

Fester surrounded by young Addams Ancestors. Credit Chris Coote

Holiday Activities

This summer we delivered two weeks of creative activities for young people aged 7-14yrs across our three venues. This included Play in a Week, Auditorium Arts and Drama Days.

Play in a Week saw 16 young people aged 7-12yrs come together to create a short play inspired by City Varieties Music Hall which would be shared with their loved ones on the music hall stage at the end of the week. This child-led approach to the performance meant that the young people had creative control over what they wanted to share with their audience. As well as performance skills, the young people learned to work as a team and share creative ideas.

We also ran two days of Auditorium Arts at Hyde Park Picture House and two Drama Days at Leeds Grand Theatre with young people aged 8-11yrs and 12-14yrs. These creative workshops gave young people the opportunity to explore their creativity in historical buildings guided by our Learning & Engagement Team.

Keep an eye on our website for further details of holiday activities.

Four children are performing a poem in front of their peers in the studio. Two are standing, two are sitting on chairs.

Young performers rehearsing a poem for Play in a Week. Credit Aaron Cawood

Children sitting on the floor listening, one child has his hand up to ask a question. A member of the learning team is sitting with them holding a piece of paper, talking.

The Play in a Week group brainstorming sharing ideas with Imogen. Credit Aaron Cawood

Coming Soon

After School Drama Clubs

Are you looking for a fun and engaging after school activity for your pupils? Our drama club offers a unique opportunity for students to explore the world of theatre through play. Pupils will learn how to express themselves creatively through a variety of games and activities. Your after school drama club will be tailored to the needs of your pupils, supporting wellbeing and confidence, building teamwork skills and resilience. Above all else, our after school drama clubs cultivate a nurturing and fun space where your pupils are encouraged to explore their creativity together.

We are open for bookings in Spring and Summer 2024, so get in touch via learning@leedsheritagetheatres.com to enquire.

Read more about our clubs provision

“The drama club has helped the children to express themselves in a more creative way”

Parent of drama club participant

Six primary school pupils are performing a piece of drama in the Learning Suite.

Primary school pupils performing a drama piece. Credit Ant Robling

Primary school children are swapping top hats. Others are watching.

Primary school pupils taking part in a drama game. Credit Chris Coote

Panto Skills Workshops

To make the most of your theatre visit, our Learning and Engagement team are offering panto skills workshops running alongside our seasonal favourite Rock n Roll panto. Workshops offer an insight into the world of the cast and creative team of this age old tradition. Aimed at secondary students, sessions use practical drama skills to explore elements of panto, for example archetypes and characterisation. Students will then draw on their knowledge of panto to create their own short scenes, inspired by those seen on stages across the UK this winter season.

Find out more about booking a panto workshop

Robin Hood Rock 'n' Roll Panto Poster. Arrows strike the i and a microphone emerges from the corner.

Careers in the Creative Industries Network

Wed 20th September 3pm-5pm, Hyde Park Picture House (LS6 1JD)

Are you a schools careers lead or a teacher looking for inspiring careers opportunities for your students? Want to find out more about the Creative Industries and how to support your students’ aspirations in this sector?

Then come along on 20th Sept to meet with like-minded professionals from the creative industries and learn more about local careers opportunities for your students. You will also have the opportunity to tour the newly re-opened Hyde Park Picture House and learn more about educational activities across Leeds Heritage Theatres venues. Please RSVP via learning@leedsheritagetheatres.com.

The Grand Academy workshop students are working on a project and looking at various theatre cards with words and markers scattered around a poster.

Training the Next Generation of Theatre Technicians

This September sees the launch of our new technical theatre training programme, continuing our long-standing partnership with Leeds City College. Students studying for a degree in Production Arts will attend weekly training sessions with our in-house technical team at City Varieties Music Hall.

Working alongside industry professionals, students will have the opportunity to put into practice skills learnt at college and gain first-hand experience of a working theatre space. Students will learn the essentials of any backstage role, including safe and appropriate working practices and building maintenance, and will have the opportunity to support a range of visiting productions and our busy in-house panto season.

Developing a broad range of transferable skills and gaining a thorough understanding of the realities of a working theatre, students will be invited to apply to join our pool of casual technicians, gaining paid work in the sector and invaluable experience to progress their future careers.

A member of the technical team is giving a demonstration to young people on the lighting desk at City Varieties

Technician TJ doing a demo on the City Varieties lighting rig. Credit Chris Coote

A stage manager with a headset on stands on stage at City Varieties with a shadow behind him

Stage Manager Garry on stage at City Varieties during the Addams Family. Credit Chris Coote

Hyde Park Picture House

As the new school year starts up again, we extend an invite to all Leeds teachers to visit our beautifully restored and newly reopened cinema, Hyde Park Picture House.

We want to hear your ideas about how we can best support your students with arts-based learning and open the venue doors to your young people.

Please get in touch via learning@leedsheritagetheatres.com to arrange a time to tour the cinema with a member of the Learning & Engagement team.

 

Exterior of Hyde Park Picture House.

At the press event for the reopening of Hyde Park Picture House. Credit Aaron Cawood.

Further Opportunities

A group of young people warming up on the stage of City Varieties. They have their arms wrapped around themselves like a hug.

Wellbeing Workshops

Let your pupils learn to express themselves creatively through drama. Working as a team, they will play confidence-building games, learn wellbeing techniques and learn about the importance of resilience.

Make a booking enquiry

Children are un the learning suite under red lights, they are creating different shapes with their bodies.

Imaginary Settings

The perfect way to use practical drama skills and storytelling to bring a text to life. With clear links to the English national curriculum, we will immerse your children in the story setting and explore how to use imagination to create a new world.

Make a booking enquiry

Two young adults sat next to each other looking forward and smiling.

Careers Workshops

Our in-depth suite of careers workshops for Yrs10-13 explore skills vital to the creative industries.  All three workshops use practical activities to develop transferable skills, including skills for the workplace, job application techniques, industry awareness and problem solving techniques.

Find out more

Learning and Engagement Trailer

Take a look at our new Learning and Engagement trailer for more information about our educational and engagement activities at Leeds Heritage Theatres.

Full video credits to Kerry Maule.

Build your actor’s toolkit with LAIT

A headshot of Natasha Hudson.

Credit: Chris Coote Photography

Hear from Tash, an alumnus of Leeds Actors in Training to find out more about our performing arts training programme for 18-25 year olds, including what we got up to this year and why she describes joining our group as the best decision she ever made.

Read more

If you enjoy reading this interview, you’ll find loads more great posts on our blog – News Views and Stories – from celebrity and staff interviews to venue updates and deep dives into our historical archives.