Young Arts

Young Arts Programme

Under the umbrella of NADFAS Royal Leamington Spa DFAS aims to promote high quality arts activities for young people, to inspire them with an enthusiasm for the arts and an appreciation of our artistic heritage and its conservation. Our vision is to provide opportunities for all to learn through participation in the arts.

Throughout the country, societies play a vital role in introducing children to the arts. A visit to an art gallery, working with an artist, watching a craftsman at work, being part of an audience at a play, or taking part in a concert can provide the spark for a lifelong interest in the arts.

Royal Leamington Spa DFAS supports a wide range of Young Arts projects aimed at encouraging participation in and appreciation of the arts among young people.

Each year we support the following:

• Playbox Theatre.
  
  This Childrens Theatre Company, based in Warwick at the Dream Factory beside Aylesford School, organises weekly workshops involving hundreds of young people aged from 3 to 25 years. They are taught acting, movement, mime, singing, dancing, improvisation and circus skills. They encourage confidence, self-assurance and poise. Playbox have an exciting and innovative programme of performances. You can check what is on at the website www.playboxtheatre.com
  
  
• Warwickshire School of Art.
  
  We provide an annual award for the best all–round Foundation Studies student in Art and Design at the college which is in Leamington. The winner of the award will continue to receive a small annual bursary for up to three years of degree level study.
  
  
  
  
  Beth Heath, winner of the
  20010-11 RLSDFAS Award
  
  The winner of our award for the academic year 2010 – 2011 is Beth Heath. The theme of her final exhibition was ‘repair’. She describes repair as not only an aspect of sustainabilty but also as an opportunity to see beyond imperfection and to add something of yourself to a created and functional object. She is going on to read 3D Design at Loughborough. Her work, with that of one other student from Warwickshire College, was accepted for an exhibition at Chelsea which shows the best of Foundation Year art in the country.
  
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We also support initiatives in local schools.

• St Patrick’s Catholic Primary School
  
  
  
  St Patrick's School Reception area
  
  We have awarded £325 towards materials and staffing for a project to renew the entrance area at the School. The new display area, coordinated by Rachel Jones who is responsible for art at the school, is based around trees. Attached to the branches are detachable leaves on to which can be written aspirational or inspirational messages or goals.
  
  
• Advanced Musicians Award
  
  
  
  Alex Baker
  
  In July 2011 we responded to an appeal from the County Music Service to become involved in their work with gifted young musicians. We have made an award of £500 which will help for one year to support one of fifteen advanced musicans, selected through audition. It will fund extra hours of tuition and offer opportunities to play with and learn from professional players.
  
  The recipient of our award is Alex Baker. He is a Year 10 student at Southam College who plays the tuba. When he first joined an orchestra, he needed to sit on a telephone directory to be able to reach the mouthpiece! He now plays for the Warwickshire Youth Jazz orchestra and Senior Brass, and is also a member of the City of Coventry Brass band. He has ambitions to compete against Black Dyke Mills one day. He has written to us to express his gratitude for the award, which has allowed him to increase his lesson time. Apparently this is especially vital with the tuba, as its size means that it takes quite a long time to warm up!
  
  
• The Big Draw.
  
  
  
  
  The Big Draw
  
  The Big Draw has been developed by the Campaign for Drawing which rises the profile of drawing as a tool for thought, creativity, social and cultural engagement. Compton Verney hosted an event over half term and we made a donation of £200 towards this. The event was well supported by a large number of children, mostly of primary age. They produced their own responses to the exhibition which was centred around the work of Quentin Blake.

For further information please contact youngarts@rlsdfas.org.uk

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