Creative Learning

Be curious. Be fearless. Engage, collaborate and play. This is Creative Learning.

Creative learning is at the heart of Squire Performing Arts Centre. We are committed to providing arts and performance education through the teaching and learning of all performance arts giving the opportunity to develop creative potential and boost engagement with the arts. We are working to inspire, influence and create opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds across the East Midlands. Through engagement with local groups, we give them the chance to perform in a professional theatre, with practical taster sessions and workshops introducing new ideas and skills.

Everything from respect to being flexible and more, can be learned through creative learning in the arts.

• Self ­confidence The more we practice, the more confident we become in trying new things, taking risks, and gaining personal confidence – anywhere we need to step out of our comfort zone.
• Creative thinking & problem solving Thinking on your feet. Being able to approach a problem from a different angle, or with unique abilities is truly a life skill.
• Follow through & self-discipline There will always be an opening night, and every audience is new, so our practice and performance has to remain solid. In other words, “The show must go on!”
• Teamwork The fun, interaction and energy of the cast and crew make those inevitable difficult times more than worth it, and this teaches us to push through problems by seeing the big picture, which is the team goal.
• The ability to work under pressure. Live audiences! Technical glitches! And yet, we learn to thrive under pressure, when needed, by performing. We become stronger people by surviving the obstacles and moving forward every day.
• Sheer enjoyment Passion for the collaboration with a team that you care about is fun for those who choose the arts. We learn to live in the moment. We dance and sing, and call cues, and create something. We find our passion in the theatre. And at the end of every exhausting day, we push forward, for the love of our craft.

If you are a girl between the ages of 16 and 19, and interested in creating a dance curtain raiser with professional dance company Feet off the Ground, this could be for you!

Feet off the Ground will be bringing their dance piece The Way They Were Then to the Squire Performing Arts Centre at Nottingham Girls’ High School in Nottingham this October. The piece is inspired by Eduardo Galeano’s book entitled ‘’Mujeres’’, a collection of short stories about women who left imprints big and small across the globe.

As well as performing their work, Feet off the Ground will be inviting a group of 15-20 girls from Nottingham to attend creative sessions and work closely with them to create a short dance piece that will be showcased alongside ‘The Way They Were Then’.

The piece will explore themes including female empowerment, oppression, rebellion and unity so we are looking for an exceptional group of dancers for this exciting piece. This curtain-raiser will be a fun and exciting opportunity for girls to work with a professional dance company, create a piece and perform to a live audience.

No formal dance or movement experience is necessary – just your interest, enthusiasm and commitment.

OPPORTUNITY REQUIREMENTS
To participate you must be female and between 16 – 19 years old (Yr 11 in academic year 2018/19 or above). You must be available for all rehearsals, which will take place on Mon 7 Oct, Tues 8 Oct and Wed 9 Oct 5pm – 8pm as well as 5pm – 10pm on the performance date, Thu 10 Oct.

SELECTION PROCESS
1. There will be no Audition process. Participant selection will be made via application form, therefore there is no requirement to send in videos.
2. All applications should be made via the online form.
3. Decisions will be made collaboratively between NGHS and FOTG.
4. The applications deadline is Noon Friday 13^th September.
5. All applicants will be contacted by Monday 16^th September.
6. Successful participants will be sent a consent form to be completed, along with any information required for the workshops.

LOGISTICS
Where: Squire Performing Arts Centre, Nottingham Girls’ High School, 9 Arboretum Street, Nottingham NG1 4JB
When: Curtain raiser workshops 7 – 9 October 5.00pm – 8.00pm
                Performance                    10 October 7.30pm – 10.00pm
Cost: No cost to participants
Applications deadline: Noon Friday 13^th September

PUBLIC PERFORMANCE
The performance will take place on 10 October. Tickets for this event will go on sale on Friday 13^th September

ABOUT FEET OFF THE GROUND

Feet off the Ground is an all-female performance collective making innovative, physical and engaging dance in varying settings and contexts. We represent women in a strong, physical capacity and challenge audiences to perceive the female form in nuanced ways. We cross movement languages and utilise Contact Improvisation and Partnering techniques as a common ground for research and performance devising.

Our principals are simple: explore the unfamiliar, take risks and think big with artistic integrity. Feet off the Ground have performed across the UK, Europe and internationally. The collective members have individually worked with a number of established choreographers including Punchdrunk, Gecko Physical Theatre Company, Sarah Dowling, Theo Clinkard, Rick Nodine, Saju Hari, Jamaal Burkmaar, Tom Dale Company and Glyndebourne Opera. The collective have taught extensively across the UK including The Place, London Contemporary Dance School, Trinity Laban, Dance4, CAT schemes and The BalletBoyz Dancer’s Course.