CoCreART: A Welcome to Northumberland

Saturday, 3 December 2011

A Welcome to Northumberland

Sad to see the Turkish, Spanish & Swedish CocreARTISTS leave. You have become valued members of the Headway Arts family! It's been a fantastic week hosting our CocreART mobility. Fran & I hope we have offered the best of Northumbrian hospitality alongside a varied programme which showed examples of education & learning both in and out of formal settings, as well as our creative programme here at Headway Arts. The delegates were made exceptionally welcome at Cleasewell Hill School (many thanks to John Parker & U4 pupils) where we spent time in the classrooms with the children. A bonus was visit from a live reindeer 'Rudolf' which enabled the Swedes to talk to the children how they live in the wild in Sweden and give an impromptu Swedish lesson in the playground. Headmaster Kevin described the progressive thinking applied to ways of learning in school. Our visitors commented on how relaxed and friendly the atomosphere was with both staff & students seeming very happy there.

Tuesday was our 'Day of Castles' where we took in 4 of our coastal Castles (5 if you count Fran who is also a Castle :-)). Thanks to my hubbie Andrew who provided me with the historical facts I was able to pass on. We were welcomed beautifully by Her Grace The Duchess Jane Percy at The Alnwick Garden, where we heard from Alison Hamer about the excellent Education Programme which featured drug awareness work relating to the poison garden and the roots & shoots garden promoting an understanding of the outdoors and horticultural experiences for children in Northumberland. We had hearty soup in The Treehouse which looked like fairyland - covered with tiny lights - preparing us for the sea air at historic Banburgh Castle the ancient seat of the Kings of Northumbria. A wild windblown walk on the beach was followed by English High Tea at the Copper Kettle Tearooms.

Thats all for now folks, next week I'll write up methodology & my thinking behind the workshops and also commentry on the rest of the programme. So if there any questions now you have had a little time for reflection please ask. Also do make posts yourselves. Kerri will post her photos. Bye for now dear partners..missing you already!

Allie

Alison Walton-Robson, Creative Director, Headway Arts

To be continued....

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About the Project

CoCreART will explore the concept of 'CoCreation' as a tool for enhancing the participation of disadvantaged adults in Lifelong Learning throughout Europe. The project will explore how this concept is interpreted in the creative working practices of different countries, through visits and practical workshops with disadvantaged groups from partner countries. The project will challenge the preconceptions that surround disadvantaged groups, raise awareness of the contributions they make to the community at local, national and European level. It will also contribute to the acquisition of key competencies for lifelong learning and enhance European co-operation. Partners from UK, Spain, Turkey and Sweden will learn from each other, involve learners at all levels, share ways of working and offer enriched outcomes for disadvantaged learners empowering them to make informed choices about future goals.