Autumn Projects and Other News – High Peak Community Arts

Arts Award Congratulations!

The Arts Award has taken a bit of a back seat for the last couple of years – but two of our longest running young participants received their awards in early October. Both Heather (Silver) and Georgia (Gold!) have been working on their portfolios for a few years, so well done to them for sticking with it and getting over the finish line!
The Gold Arts Award is a level three qualification on the national Qualifications and Curriculum Framework and carries 35 UCAS points to contribute to university entrance. It is also a huge volume of work which many participants have started after doing Silver, but Georgia is the first to complete the award with High Peak Community Arts! During the process Georgia learned a new arts skill (choreography), did research on the mental health impact of training and working in dance, lead a project to make a film and screen it, and started volunteering and then working for us under the Kickstart scheme.  These final stages of the award have bridged the gap from college to work, and given her a few leads to follow into her future.
She says “My Gold arts award has been a journey I have enjoyed and something I’m proud of. I think it has helped give me a wider knowledge in choreographing and leading, something I don’t think I would have done if it wasn’t for this project. These skills have already come in useful a few times and have helped boost my confidence.”

Next she will be putting together a showreel of her film editing – so if anyone needs some edit work doing get in touch!
Heather has also been working on her Silver award for a few years, with the interruptions of the last two years giving her the chance to develop the leadership side of the award more deeply – a ‘Silver’ lining, if you will! Anyone who remembers the Christmas message from Film Cuts Club in 2020 will have seen the results of Heather’s dance routine which she taught to club members to film themselves at home. She then went on to use a script she wrote in lockdown to direct film production for the first time and learned some editing skills along the way.

Heather says “I was happy and excited – I want to go for Gold award now!  I am looking forward to helping everybody as I have been helped”
In the next year we will be getting back into delivering Explore, Bronze and Silver for participants in our schools, Film Cuts and Tall Tales projects.

What’s next for early years and families?

Our High Peak ABC book and song are nearly finished and ready for a launch later this year, and in the meantime we have booked in another 7 weeks of music making sessions, starting 2^nd November. Lucy Jackson will be leading the activities, with some simple warm up songs, actions and percussion, and then she will bring new song material on requested themes. They will introduce the musical building blocks of rhythm, pitch and repetition in a fun, relaxed atmosphere. The sessions are aimed at babies upwards (older siblings under 5 welcome) and they are a fantastic way to settle down and unwind with baby, and develop new interactions with other children and adults.
Funded by the National Foundation for Youth Music, these sessions are free, but places are limited.  Wednesdays from 2^nd November 10.30 – 11.30, New Mills Adult Education Centre, Spring Bank, SK22 4AZ.
Email sophie@highpeakarts.org to book a place.

And Film Cuts Club is back! Saturdays were never so much fun!

Buxton Project eaRTh are just starting a creative writing project with poet Leanne Moden – writing a collective poem on the Nature of Hope. More on that soon!