The trouble with a lot of schools is that there’s this terrible emphasis on exams, to the exclusion of things that are a lot more influential and useful in life—namely, art, music and culture.
It’s important to kindle these small fires in children.
I didn’t know much about classical music, and I learned about that at school. One teacher used to spend his own money taking us out to the Festival Hall. He would stop the curriculum completely to play Bach, masses and requiems. It was completely electrifying.
I loathe the idea of compulsory anything; I’m an anarchist in that sense. But if there’s a place for art without having to do horrible tests, of course that’s a good thing. School should be more about joy and subversion and wildness.
I think the broadening of the curriculum, if it’s coupled with inspirational teaching, can only be a good thing.
STOP PRESS
Have your students had their 5 hours of culture this week?
You will probably already have read about the Government’s latest arts initiative. They are promising to plough quite a bit of money into ‘culture in schools’. It seems that what they have already done for sport they now plan to do for the arts, putting so-called ‘high culture’ within reach of every school pupil.
They plan to encourage schools to deliver five hours of ‘culture’ to pupils each and every week and are about to put 25 million pounds into pilot schemes to see how feasible their plans are. Their hope is that school students will soon be able to access the kinds of arts experiences—classical music, opera, ballet and so on—that, because of ticket prices and travel costs, young people are all too often priced out of.
While we wait to find out more details (not least to see which Midland authorities are in the Government’s initial plans), you could do worse than to take the initiative yourselves by taking advantage of the special school offers. Schools interested in the Stanley Opera schools offer should contact Chris Sturgess on 01455 848194 or email us at education@stanley-opera.org.uk.
Stanley Opera aims to make opera accessible, all our productions are sung in English and where possible using a modern translation. The productions are up to date and communicate the story and emotions clearly. Shortly we hope to have packs of activities available for download related to our current opera. This will mean school trips will be able to incorporate trips to theatre in their lessons if they wish.
If you or your students have any questions to ask regarding our current opera please do not hesitate to email us at
education@stanley-opera.org.uk
Links to educational web sites currently available.
Royal Opera House educational web site and resources
BBC Music web site
TES music resources
English National Opera educational web site and resources
The Zone music education online
Arts Info International theatre resources
English Touring Opera educational resources
Welsh National Opera – Fresh to Opera
The Arts Council