Theatre project for keyworkers children launched
Today with Hammersmith & Fulham Council we launched a new playwriting project for keyworkers children that attend schools in our home borough. Working with Artistic Associate, Simon Stephens, the project will ensure continued creative enrichment for vulnerable children across Hammersmith & Fulham.
Artistic Director Rachel O’Riordan said:
‘It is our mission to engage with schools using our specialism of theatre to develop creative talent. This project has been developed for the children in our borough whose parents are working on the front line and who will need that extra care and opportunity to express themselves imaginatively. Hammersmith is our home and we will support the young people of Hammersmith even whilst our theatre is closed. We hope that this project supports the health, wellbeing, and creative energy of all these children.’
Cllr Larry Culhane, H&F Cabinet Member for Children and Education said:
‘The Lyric’s outreach offer to our critical workers and vulnerable children is so inspiring, our schools are creative hubs and this artistic offer will help fire the imagination & spread happiness in these difficult times. We are delighted to continue strengthening our creative learning partnership with the Lyric who continue to ignite the imagination of our vulnerable children.’
Simon Stephens said:
‘I’m thrilled to be working with the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre’s to take our playwriting work out into the community for the children of key workers who are still coming to school. Primary school children have fearless imaginations. They inspire me to be more daring in my own writing. I can’t wait to see what they come up with.’
Teachers from across the borough have been invited to participate for free in the project, which has been designed to encourage curiosity, unlock the imagination and develop creative writing skills. Each week teachers and students will be provided with bespoke digital resources and a learning guide via the Primary Learning Partnership. Over the course of three weeks, the children will create characters and monologues, which will then be performed digitally by emerging actors from Young Lyric. The digital monologues written by the children will be shared with all participants and their families, giving them the opportunity to see their words, characters and stories come to life.
This activity has been supported by Engage.
Children’s Art Week is run by Engage, the National Association for Gallery Education and supported in 2020 by Arts Council England, Creative Scotland and Arts Council of Wales and The D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust.
