START is a Partnership Investment Programme

Between BCDH, Walsall Arena & Arts Centre and Arts Connect, The Programme involves 3 schools working together with BCDH over 3 years. Bloxwich Academy, Caldmore Primary Academy & Palfrey Primary School.

Each school has 2 full workshop days with 2 Professional Companies over each academic year.
All participants attend 2 professional performances @ Walsall Arena & Arts Centre by both Companies each year.

Students critically evaluate the professional performances to develop their own choreographic ideas.

A BCDH Artist delivers 2 CPD sessions for teachers to explore the themes experienced in the children’s professional workshop and performance, to link them to areas of the Curriculum.

The BCDH Artist will support teachers in school to explore ways the children can use the dance experience linked to the Curriculum theme, and how to use as a catalyst to create their own work in dance.

Following the CPD teachers work with their own classes to create a performance /exhibition over the term and come together to share this at Walsall Arena as part of a Celebration Event.

2 Celebration Events will be held in each academic year following the Professional Workshop, Performance, CPD and Term of creation by children in schools.

The outcomes will be part of the evidence collected by the Arts Award school (1 school each year) and all the work will contribute to Artsmark for each school as part of their School Improvement Plan.

Bloxwich Academy, Caldmore Primary Academy & Palfrey Primary School Each had a day of workshops with ACE Dance & Music and performance tickets to watch the performance of “SKIN Reimagined” to inspire them to create their own choreography in preparation for the Summer Term Celebration Event at Walsall Arena & Arts Centre.

Walsall College & Our Lady & St Chad Catholic Academy.

Worked with ACE Dance & Music to create 2 “Curtain-Raiser” performances.

Unfortunately they did not get to perform due to the beginning of COVID – 19 Lockdown in March 2020 which led to the cancellation of the Professional Performance of “Skin Reimagined”  

We aim to programme the performance in 2021 and hope that all the students will be able to watch the professional performance and perform the “Curtain-Raisers”