Author: Mimi Doulton

Why I support ACA: Miranda Thain, Theatre Hullabaloo

Mimi Doulton 25th September 2019 ACA people, Front Page No Comments
Why I support ACA: Miranda Thain, Theatre Hullabaloo

Why I support ACA: Miranda Thain, Theatre Hullabaloo

In a confusing world that often seems to share few of the things that you deeply value, it is important to find your tribe. This is why I joined Action for Children’s Arts, an organisation filled with passionate people who believe deeply in the value of the arts and creativity in the lives of children. Collectively, we engage with all stakeholders in childhood to advocate for that which we know to be true; that children need the arts, as we all do, to bring us together to entertain, provoke, challenge, delight and inspire. Education is narrowing just at the time when we need breadth and space for ideas. If we don’t allow young people that space to dream of a better world then how can they possibly make it real?

I’ve had the pleasure of working in children’s arts for my whole career, including for the last 12 years as Artistic Producer at Theatre Hullabaloo. I can’t imagine wanting to do anything else. Theatre Hullabaloo believes that creativity should be part of everyone’s childhood. I’d go even further and say that the magic that we all know from being part of the audience in a spine-tingling performance, or the way your mind is blown when an artist encourages you to turn your world view upside down, should be an entitlement of all children, whatever their background.

In 2011, when the first round of austerity hit children’s arts particularly savagely, I wrote in The Stage ‘Perhaps we can no longer afford that precious place in childhood where we have room to imagine?”

The Hullabaloo, our new venue for children and families which opened in December 2017, stands as a beacon for that place of the imagination. It is a building which is proud to recognise how important children are and to offer them spaces and art that is made specifically for them. These spaces are filled with the best of children’s theatre from around the world, attracting specialist artists, most of whom have given their lives to developing work and a relationship to their young audience which is as sophisticated as we know children to be. Fundamental to our vision is that The Hullabaloo is the meeting point for artists, children and academics so that we are not just making great art in creative collaboration, but also developing research which will impact on national policy around the place of creativity in childhood.

The Hullabaloo stands in one of the 1% most deprived wards in the UK, many worlds away from the corridors of Whitehall and yet, through being part of an organisation like Action for Children’s Arts, we feel that we have a voice in influencing the future cultural opportunities of our children nationwide. It may just be a small corner of this confusing world, but together we can make it better.

Theatre Hullabaloo presents TakeOff Festival, England’s leading festival of theatre for children and young people, 21-26 October (Delegate Festival 23-25 Oct, Durham City).

For more information about Theatre Hullabaloo visit www.theatrehullabaloo.org.uk

Miranda Thain, Artistic Producer, Theatre Hullabaloo

Why I joined ACA – Walia Kani

Mimi Doulton 4th September 2019 ACA people, Front Page No Comments
Why I joined ACA – Walia Kani

Why I joined ACA - Walia Kani

I was lucky enough to be a child in the 50s and 60s when arts were a full part of state primary education. I had Ivor Cutler as a drama teacher at junior school. And, without knowing it, learned songs from the opera Hansel and Gretel in infant school, where we also had a pottery wheel and kiln, despite being in the heart of London's deprived East End.

At secondary school there were free piano lessons, and group violin lessons, even for someone like me with minimal aptitude. Our school days were punctuated with orchestra, choir, school play rehearsals, painting sets, dying costumes. We were taken to see Maggie Smith play Beatrice while we rehearsed our all girls Much Ado.
As the decades have gone by I have seen these opportunities disappear from the school curriculum as it becomes more structured and controlled. So, when I  became aware of ACA through my niece I knew this was a good chance to give today's children the experiences I was lucky enough to have.
Walia Kani is a retired optician, based in Durham. She became a member of ACA in July 2019.
It only costs £2.50/month to support our cause. Click here to become a member and join our community.

August News

Mimi Doulton 30th August 2019 ACA News, Front Page No Comments
August News

August News

What have we been up to...

We have held meetings with the Spark Arts in Leicester, Fife Council and Sunderland Empire. We are looking forward to meeting the Open College of the Arts, 11 by 11 and Sunderland Empire in September.

We are also looking forward to attending the Creative Industries Federation event with Tom Watson MP and the Cultural Campaigning Group.

ACA Critical Friend Dr Chris Abbott has written a response to the government report An Unequal Playing Field. Read his full response here.

Since Janet's appointment we have been exploring the co-working spaces in London's theatres, galleries and concert halls. Development Officer Mimi Doulton decided to make the most of the opportunity and has created a short guide to some of London's co-working spaces here.

ACA Chair Vicky Ireland MBE and ACA Trustee Chris Jarvis were delighted to meet Emmerson at the Delfont Room, ahead of this year's JM Barrie Awards (pictured at the top of this newsletter). Emmerson is our young presenter for 2019 and will be working alongside Pui Fan Lee.

We are delighted to have welcomed three new members! Writer and illustrator Rod Campbell, creator of the acclaimed Dear Zoo said:

'I am pleased to support ACA in your work in making the arts available to all children as a fundamental part of their development.'

To become a member of ACA, click here.

This is only part of the ACA August newsletter. Click here to get the full thing in your inbox every month!

An Unequal Playing Field – ACA welcomes report commissioned by UK government

Mimi Doulton 28th August 2019 Children's Arts News, Front Page No Comments
An Unequal Playing Field – ACA welcomes report commissioned by UK government

An Unequal Playing Field – ACA welcomes report commissioned by UK government

ACA notes that the Government’s own Social Mobility Commission has joined the chorus of voices raising concerns about children’s access to the arts – in this case especially outside school. The report (www.gov.uk/government/news/extra-curricular-activities-soft-skills-and-social-mobility) notes the huge disparities in children’s participation rates in many different areas.

 

ACA is particularly concerned by the findings of this government report that involvement in the arts, music and dance varies greatly depending upon where children live and their social background, with wealthier families much more likely to be involved in these activities. Most worryingly of all, children from the poorest families are 3 times less likely to be involved in extra-curricular arts activities, found the report’s authors, who were researchers from the University of Bath.

ACA supports the report’s recommendations to the government which include a bursary scheme for disadvantaged families, funding for voluntary sector initiatives, increasing the extra-curricular capacity of schools and the need for further research in this important area. ACA is in a position to assist with the second of these recommendations, and to show the way forward for the involvement of the voluntary sector through the development of its Arts Backpack UK.

In ACA, we believe in each child as an holistic being, with emotional, physical, psychological, aesthetic and intellectual needs and dimensions.

We believe that education should facilitate the realisation of the full potential of each child.

It should not be decided by the financial circumstances of their carers.

Vicky Ireland MBE - Chair, Action for Children's Arts

 

This report contains shocking data about the extent to which access to the arts is related to wealth in the UK. Wealthy children are 3 times as likely to have music lessons, with the difference being even more marked in the south-east of England compared to the north-east. The researchers found that proportionately more girls than boys were involved in music, art and dance – perhaps because of the gendered way in which these activities were offered. It is important to know more about these growing divides and the effect they are having, so we also support the recommendation that more research is needed, especially into ways of meeting this pressing need.

Dr Chris Abbott

Dr Chris Abbott, FRSA
Reader Emeritus in Assistive Technologies, King's College London
Critical Friend, ACA

Co-working spaces in London

Mimi Doulton 22nd August 2019 Blog, Front Page No Comments
Co-working spaces in London

Co-working spaces in London

Since the appointment of interim CEO Janet Robertson, we have been making the most of co-working spaces across London. As we prepare to move into a slightly more permanent base, here are some of our findings.

The Barbican Centre

The ground floor space (pictured above) is a bit touch-and-go, depending on what exhibitions and events are taking place. However, on a good day there are nice long tables and reliable Cloud-based WiFi. Plug sockets are  slightly harder to come by. There are further working areas on the first floor, and if you are looking for a quiet space - there is an excellent room at the back of the Barbican Library on the second floor (in the Music Library).

Convenient food and drink is available from Barbican Kitchen, the Benugo café, or - if you're feeling fancy - one of the restaurants near Lakeside. On the subject of Lakeside, this is a lovely spot to enjoy some natural light and time away from your computer screen!

The Roundhouse, Camden

This is a lovely, quiet spot to get some work done less than half an hour from Waterloo, King's Cross and Paddington. The WiFi is excellent, and the café is light and airy. There are lots of small tables at the front of the café, and longer ones around the back, which you can apparently reserve!

The food options are rather limited (toastie, anyone?) but tasty nonetheless, and there are plenty of naughty snacks to enjoy on the go. We spotted a number of plug sockets around the place and it never seemed so busy that you couldn't get to one. Well worth the journey to the edge of zone 1.

The Royal Society of Arts

If you happen to be a member (or know someone who can let you in), the home of the RSA just round the corner from Embankment tube is an oasis of calm in central London. With plenty of nooks and crannies for small meetings, excellent WiFi and a lovely café, you are sure to find everything you need here.

Crypt at St Martin in the Fields

A nice cool underground space for a hot summer's day... And we imagine a cosy space on a winter one! If you don't mind the company of a few brass-rubbers, this is one of the quieter co-working spots in London.

That said, it lacks phone signal and the WiFi is also rather unreliable. We can vouch for the excellent food however. A good place to work offline, or maybe catch up on some emails. Not so good for uploading or working in the Cloud.

The Young Vic

An ACA favourite for many years, this café boasts tonnes of natural light, a roof terrace, and a brilliant range of food and drink on offer at a number of price points. With this excellence comes popularity, and unfortunately the WiFi suffers somewhat for this. There are also no plug sockets on the ground floor, and only two or three upstairs (they're on the ceiling!) so if you need a charge you have to be stealthy.

A very convenient central London location and a great place to bump into other arts and culture professionals.

Pret a Manger

We couldn't really write this article without a short tribute to Pret a Manger - host to many ACA meetings over the years. The WiFi is invariably excellent, the chairs are comfortable, and the food is reliable. Getting a password for the bathroom is mildly inconvenient but we'll forgive them this.

What's more, they seem to be popping up everywhere - meaning you can be sure to find a reliable co-working space, wherever you may be.

(As an aside, if you have a lovely local café with good WiFi, we strongly encourage you to support them!)

ACA appoints interim CEO

Mimi Doulton 21st May 2019 ACA News, Front Page No Comments
ACA appoints interim CEO
Janet Robertson

ACA appoints interim CEO

We are delighted to have appointed Janet Robertson as interim CEO. Janet is a freelance creative director, producer and teaching artist based between Fife, Cambridge and London, who has previously managed projects for companies including Scottish Opera, Ambassador Theatre Group, National Youth Music Theatre, the Really Useful Group and the BBC. She will be leading the pilots of the Arts Backpack UK - an initiative that aims to offer every UK primary school child at least five cultural and creative experiences a year.

Speaking about her appointment and the Arts Backpack UK, Janet said:

I believe that the Arts are fundamental to being a well-developed and happy human. They teach, they inspire, they enhance, they console, and we grow through each and every engagement we are able to have with them.

I am humbled and honoured to be joining ACA as their new CEO at a point where the campaign for arts education is gathering such momentum. Through ACA's Arts Backpack programme the opportunity exists to create a movement for change for children's arts across all of the UK and I look forward to working with ACA and all its members to meaningfully make a difference to children's lives.

ACA Chair Vicky Ireland MBE said:

The Trustees are truly delighted that Janet has agreed to become CEO and steer ACA's future. As a champion of arts for children, her vast experience and commitment will be of huge benefit to the charity and all we stand for.

The Arts Backpack UK will be piloted in schools across the UK from September 2019. ACA is currently working with a research group of children from Chickenshed to develop questions that can be used to evaluate the pilots from a child's perspective. The project is supported by a number of ACA's illustrious patrons, including Anna Home OBE (Children's Media Foundation), illustrator Michael Foreman, and actress Jenny Agutter who said:

Children want to discover, to play, to paint, to dance - the 'arts' are already a part of their lives. Their enjoyment of the arts only diminishes when they are directed to think in ways that do not engage the imagination. It seems rather than developing an interest in the arts, a bridge needs to be created to keep the already lively imaginations of children going, so as adults they can use this developed and nourished imagination to take part in, or enjoy the many aspects of the arts available to us. The 'arts' may reflect our society, or stir the imagination but unless we can relate to them on a fundamental level they will not become a part of our lives. The Arts Backpack might be the needed bridge.

Illustrators James Mayhew and Michael Foreman with author Jamila Gavin at the National Theatre Arts Backpack launch

Chris Jarvis article in Arts Professional

Mimi Doulton 30th April 2019 ACA people, Front Page No Comments
Chris Jarvis article in Arts Professional

Chris Jarvis article in Arts Professional

ACA Trustee and BBC presenter Chris Jarvis has written a fantastic article about the Arts Backpack UK for Arts Professional.

What is profoundly clear from the report is that access to culture is extremely unequal across UK schools. As an organisation we are passionate about targeting those children who do not currently access arts and culture, and hope that the Arts Backpack will be a means of levelling an unequal cultural playing field.

Read the full article here: https://www.artsprofessional.co.uk/magazine/article/arts-backpack

Arts Backpack UK: a statement from David Wood OBE

Mimi Doulton 15th April 2019 ACA News, Front Page No Comments
Arts Backpack UK: a statement from David Wood OBE

David Wood statement

I believe that the Arts Backpack idea could be the most significant notion and possibility to have surfaced in the twenty years or more since our charity began. The idea confirms ACA’s belief that all children are entitled to attend arts events and experiences. This belief is enshrined in Article 31 of the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child.

The Arts Back Pack is a novel and appealing way of ensuring that every child can expect to experience the arts several times a year.

The idea is important for children.

It is important for parents.

It is important for teachers.

It is important for children’s arts practitioners and for companies and arts organisations – theatres, museums, concert halls, art galleries etc.

It is important for local councils, and for government. By helping to activate the intentions of Article 31, it is a way of complying with the Article and encouraging interest in the arts.

It is important for the medical profession, who regularly tell us that the arts help children’s wellbeing.

It is important for the Arts Council, who would recognise that attendances at arts events and performances would increase.

It ticks so many boxes!

The Arts Back Pack could revitalise the organisations and companies that provide arts for children, by instantaneously increasing the numbers of children able, via school and/or parent, to take advantage of the offer. In the long term, it would make children’s experience of the arts something that is part of their mainstream education, rather than an add-on or luxury, part of the cake rather than the cherry.

David Wood OBE, ACA President

Click here to find out more about the Arts Backpack UK.

Sir Philip Pullman wins 2019 JM Barrie Award

Mimi Doulton 20th March 2019 ACA News, Front Page No Comments
Sir Philip Pullman wins 2019 JM Barrie Award

Action for Children’s Arts (ACA) has chosen Sir Philip Pullman CBE as the recipient of their 2019 JM Barrie Award. The Award is given annually to a children’s arts practitioner or organisation in recognition of a lifetime’s achievement in delighting children.

Sir Philip Pullman is a patron and long-time supporter of ACA’s campaigning work. Last year the charity celebrated its twentieth anniversary and was sent the following message by Sir Philip:

“Children deserve the best of everything; the best opportunities, the best education, the best food, the best stories and poems, the best music, the best theatre. In fact, they’d need the best even if they didn’t deserve it. Action for Children’s Arts is a very good way indeed of seeing that they get it, and I’m very glad to support its work”.

ACA Trustees have also chosen to honour Breathe Arts Health Research with an Outstanding Contribution Award – recognising their ground-breaking Magic Programme for young people with hemiplegia. Uniting arts, health and science, this is an award-winning approach to occupational therapy, using magic skills to improve hand function and independence.

Previous JM Barrie Award winners have included Sir Michael Morpurgo OBE, Bernard Cribbins OBE and Baroness Floella Benjamin OBE.

Action for Children’s Arts is a national membership organisation campaigning for arts education for 0-12 year olds. For only £2.50/month you can support their campaigning activities: www.childrensarts.org.uk/join/individual/

For more information about the 2019 awards, please contact mimi.doulton@childrensarts.org.uk

The World Day of Theatre for young audiences 2019

Mimi Doulton 13th March 2019 Children's Arts News, Front Page No Comments
The World Day of Theatre for young audiences 2019

20 March 2019: ASSITEJ World Day of Theatre for children is a campaign promoted and celebrated through the message: "Take a child to the theatre, today."

 

This year’s messages have been written by Yvette Hardie, President of ASSITEJ; Joyee, 8; and Jojo, 11.

ASSITEJ president Yvette Hardie says : “Children need to be offered to enjoy moments in community where they are reminded of what we share, and where they are able to appreciate the multiple realities of what it means to be human.”

Joyee says : “Without theatre, there would be no imagination. Everyone wouldn’t be able to be themselves. Without stories, everyone would be bored all the time. A bit gloomy – they wouldn’t really feel very nice.”

Jojo says : “I love theatre where you have to use your imagination, your own imagination which is different from everyone else’s. Because the things in the show are hard to see or aren’t there, you have to imagine them. You make them up. And then you can see them really well.”

Find out more about ASSITEJ and World Day of Theatre for Young Audiences at this link.