Join our Curious Creatives Network to hear from inspiring speakers and meet with other cultural education professionals.
About this Event

Join the Curious Creatives Network monthly on a Friday, for inspiration, learning and connection to take you into your weekend. These network sessions are free and take place online over Zoom.
This month, we are delighted to be joined by Sarah Hall, Director of Blue Moose Dance Company, who will talk about what she has learnt through delivering ‘From Head to Toe’, a 2-year programme using creativity and movement in school’s settings. This programme worked collaboratively with teachers and schools to explore embodied learning and how this can help with curriculum topics.

About Sarah Hall

Sarah is Creative Director of Blue Moose Dance Company with 15 years experience working in community and education settings across the North West, leading and developing creative dance provision that inspires, challenges and connects.

Sarah is passionate about working as a facilitator, manager, choreographer and producer, staying connected to the practice of Dance whilst aiming to further the sector strategically. Sarah’s current interests lie in Teacher development and dance beyond the PE curriculum and in Youth Dance and progression routes for young people, leading Preston Youth Dance Company, now in its 12th year.

Sarah is also Co-Course Leader and Senior Lecturer on the BA (Hons) Dance course at UCLan and works as an Engagement Artist with National Dance Company Wales, offering outreach support for audiences to learn more about the company’s work.

About Blue Moose

Blue Moose Dance Company was founded in 2015 and works inclusively with and for the benefit of all communities, irrespective of age, gender or background, with a particular emphasis on supporting the development of young people and uniting communities across Lancashire and North Yorkshire. Our ethos is routed in our ability and desire to empower people to creatively investigate, explore and analyse themselves, their community and surrounding environment through a participant-led approach.

About ‘From HEAD to TOE’

From HEAD to TOE aims to learn and retain the English and Maths curriculum through use of the creative moving body in Primary school settings. The project first launched in 2021, generously funded by Paul Hamlyn Foundation through the Arts Based Learning Fund. Blue Moose Dance Company collaborated with teachers from five Primary Schools across Lancashire, co-producing strategies, resources and interventions that would support KS2 pupils to learn, retain and recall key subject knowledge. Curriculum topics included place value, fractions, time, narrative writing, poetry and word class and grammar.

Blue Moose worked collaboratively with class teachers to challenge traditional learning methods and environments, inspiring more creativity within the classroom space and beyond. Their developed approach centres around the moving body and embodied learning, supporting physical exploration and regulation of the nervous system. Pupils have been encouraged to think independently, to develop further curiosity and imagination, giving them autonomy to find new ways to access learning.

They worked closely with Headteachers and SLTs to shape this project and its success can be seen in the schools adopting this approach from Reception through to Year 6, including it as a key action in School Improvement Plans and with teachers passing on their experience with local school clusters.

TRAILER:

<h4>This will be an informal and interactive session, with an opportunity to network in breakout rooms and engage in a Q&A with Sarah.</h4>

Who is the Network for?

We are aiming to build a diverse network of professionals from across the cultural and education sectors.

This network is for anyone with an interest and commitment to creating high quality work for, by and with children and young people. You may be an artist, creative, teacher, producer, programme manager, director, policy maker, freelancer or part of an organisation.

Why join the Curious Creatives Network?

Meet regularly with a diverse group of other like-minded people who are passionate about championing the benefits of arts and culture in the lives of children and young people.
Hear from and be inspired by diverse professionals and experts in the cultural education field.
Gain insights into policy, funding, commissioning, and other opportunities in the sector.
Take part in dialogue, reflection, and critical thinking.
Sustain and grow your cultural education practice.
Explore opportunities for collaboration and critical friendship.
Build a sense of identity and purpose together with other diverse practitioners.

Explore topics such as: