Arts Engagement & Outreach: September News

Here’s a taste of what our Arts Engagement & Outreach team at The Octagon & Westlands have been busy working on this month…

Our Arts Engagement & Outreach team develop and deliver programmes and activities that benefit health and wellbeing, enrich learning and education in and outside school, inspire and celebrate talent. Creating work that will support local artists and tell “local stories”. In everything we do and programme we will seek to improve inclusion and remove barriers, whatever they may be, so that everyone is able to enjoy and benefit from the creative arts.

Our Arts Engagement & Outreach team look to provide more opportunities for our communities to watch, take part and benefit from arts and cultural activities where they live.

This September saw thousands of people gathered in Yeovil Town Centre on Super Saturday to be mesmerised by six dancers and a community cast performing with a 12-foot wooden wheel in Autin Dance Theatre’s fantastic performance of ‘Parade – The Giant Wheel’. Plus, the return of our Octagon Academy classes, Health & Wellbeing projects and Creative Learning & Education workshops, read more below...  

Creative Learning & Education

Students inspired and empowered by internationally renowned theatre company

The new academic year has brought exciting opportunities to over 150 local secondary school students across South Somerset as part of our Creative Education and Learning programme.

The workshops held at Westfield Academy - Yeovil, Wadham School - Crewkerne, King Arthur’s - Wincanton and Stanchester Academy – Stoke-Sub- Hamdon were led by two members of Wise Children Theatre Company; Tom Fox and Mirabelle Gremaud, and featured games and devising techniques used by Wise Children when creating their own performances. The workshops, based around Wise Children’s upcoming production of ‘Little Match Girl’, help build skill sets and confidence by allowing the students to feel safe and experiment with different performance techniques, which will benefit the students in their studies and drama exams. The workshops had a positive atmosphere, with students looking forward to working with them again later in the year.

‘The best workshop I have ever been to, it was so fun, and I would jump at the opportunity to do it again’ Student Feedback           

Octagon Academy: Participate

New term attracts increase in participants

The Octagon Academy now runs 20 vocational classes at Westlands Entertainment Venue, working with 13 different teachers and providing a mixture of both daytime and evening classes for all ages and abilities. Classes offered vary from mum and baby dance classes to Bollywood dance, to Youth Theatre, with many more in between. The start to the new term is always a busy time as we welcome back both regular attendees and those wanting to try something new for the first time. This term has seen an increase in numbers from the same point in 2023, with over 300 participants attending classes over the last 3 months.  

Planning is under way for next year's Octagon Academy Taster Day, where you will be able to attend and try out all our classes on one day, an ideal opportunity to highlight the wonderful classes on offer.

Autin Dance Theatre’s giant wheel brings the community together at Super Saturday

Hundreds of people gathered in Yeovil Town Centre on Super Saturday to be mesmerised by six dancers and a community cast performing with a 12-foot wooden wheel in Autin Dance Theatre’s fantastic performance of ‘Parade – The Giant Wheel’. The performance started off in Ivel Square before being ‘paraded’ through the Quedam Shopping Centre and back again, as led by members of our local community cast and the audience. Members of the Autin Dance Theatre Company interacted with the giant wheel on its journey by performing, in, on and around the wheel, while members of the audience could also take part in movement sequences as the performance unfolded. It truly was a site to behold as people of all ages, abilities, cultures and backgrounds, took part, performed alongside, followed and watched this physically demanding and incredible performance through Yeovil’s Town Centre. Smiles lit up faces and children were heard saying ‘this is the best day ever’, with some audience members even watching through upstairs windows of shops to ensure they didn’t miss out.

In the days leading up to the performance, Autin Dance Theatre’s Community Guardian and local dancer, Darcy Berkley, worked with eight local community groups including, Yeovil4Familes, YMCA Young Carers, Westfield Community Youth Group and Able2Achieve. In addition, free open workshops were ran at Westlands Entertainment Venue for anyone else wishing to take part. The workshops were ran to bring people together from all walks of life and teach movements inspired by conversations based around the word 'Community', which were then incorporated into the final performance. Those members were then invited to become our ‘Community Cast’ on the day and perform alongside Autin Dance Theatre. 

On the day, Autin Dance Theatre performed twice, with some people changing their plans to ensure they could come back and watch this truly unique performance.

‘I felt like there was almost a carnival atmosphere as the wheel was on the move’ Audience member

Access & Inclusion Schemes

SHiNE Bursary Fund gives everyone the opportunity to be creative

We are thrilled to have seen an increase in participants on our SHiNE Bursary Fund. The SHiNE Bursary Fund supports individuals of all ages to take part in our participation classes, creative workshops or summer schools at The Octagon & Westlands, who might not be able to afford the opportunity otherwise. We offer a range of creative classes from ballet to choir, from theatre to Bollywood dance and so much more…

We want everyone in our community to have the opportunity to experience the joy of creativity. Through this scheme participants have built new friendships, gained a sense of belonging, grew in confidence and learnt new skills.

The SHiNE Bursary will be awarded to anyone on low income, Free School Meals or Pupil Premium, looking to participate in classes and workshops hosted by The Octagon Theatre & Westlands Entertainment Venue. The SHiNE Bursary Fund can help to cover 50% or 100% of the cost of your class fees each term, depending on the level of help you require.

“The support that The Octagon Theatre & Westlands Entertainment Venue have been able to give my son through attending holiday activities and now weekly classes has made such a difference”. Parent

Follow here to apply or find out more…

westlandsyeovil.co.uk/discover-more/shine-bursary-fund/

Access to panto = granted

For many children and young people the school trip to the theatre’s annual pantomime at Christmas, may for many, be their first experience of coming to the theatre and their first exposure to the magic of live performance. We appreciate that budgets are limited and with transport costs on the rise this can put pressure on schools when deciding on the feasibility of which trips the school can take. This Christmas we are delighted to be offering all schools due to attend our 2024 pantomime of, Jack and the Beanstalk, a 25% contribution towards travel costs, to make school visits that little bit more affordable. To date we will be supporting over 1,800 students to attend our pantomime at Westlands Entertainment Venue this Christmas.

“Thank you so much, we really appreciate it, it is so kind of you to do this for the schools in the area.” Teacher

Arts for Health & Wellbeing

Sharing the power of music

This month, we held 3 free taster sessions for our Somerset Wellbeing Orchestra at the ARK at Egwood and The WATCH Project in Chard, as delivered in partnership by Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra (BSO). The taster sessions were open for anyone to experience, with a total of 65 people taking part across the 3 sessions. The sessions saw participants create and play music together, learn new skills in abundance, make new connections and friendships, boost confidence and lift wellbeing.

The Somerset Wellbeing Orchestra is a music-making project aimed at adults who have reported mental health challenges or would like extra support. Musicians from BSO lead participants through specialist support-led activity that focuses on music making and connection with green space to positively impact participants mental health and wellbeing. The Wellbeing Orchestra gives adults the opportunity to listen to, create and play music alongside other people in a safe and supportive environment. Each session ends with tea or coffee and an opportunity to connect with others. 

“I didn’t know what to expect, but it has been brilliant today!” Participant

Sharing the transformative impacts of our Movement Through Cancer project

Our newly developed movement and dance class ‘Movement Through Cancer’ is designed specifically for people living with or at any point of their cancer journey. An important element of our project is the social opportunities within, and after, dancing together. We would like to say a huge thank you to Leonardo’s, who have made a generous donation to Movement Through Cancer project to help cover the costs of the teas and coffees that form the end of our sessions. This donation will go a long way in supporting our dancers who have been affected by cancer, allowing for time to relax and connect with others who understand, as well as the opportunity to offer or find support, all over a comforting warm drink after dancing together.

The transformative impacts of this creative dance project can be seen in our newly launched short film. This film provides an insight into the dance sessions, and beautifully demonstrates the positive impacts this project is having on our dancers’ physical, mental and social wellbeing, from a participant and health care worker perspective. We hope our film will improve levels of understanding and awareness of the role arts & culture can play in improving people’s wellbeing and overall health and will raise awareness of opportunities available.

“This film is amazing and really highlights the positive impact that these sessions have on those who attend. Well done for creating and establishing such a fantastic group and opportunity for those affected by cancer, thank you.” Cancer Support Worker

To keep up to date with all the activities coming up head over to the What’s On section on our website or check out our Participate page which will link you to all our projects and upcoming opportunities.