THE ARTS
Lighting fires
“Learning is a treasure
that will follow its owner
Supporting arts in schools
everywhere.”
Chinese Proverb
“Nothing is ever achieved
without enthusiasm.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
In the last decade, the Royal Opera House
“The cross-arts approach sits more comfortably
in primary schools, where you have one teacher
“What I hear, I forget. What
delivering the whole curriculum to one class. But
education team has more than tripled in
last year’s secondary school reforms, encouraging a I see, I remember. What I do,
more cross-curricular collaboration between teachers in
size. Nick Smurthwaite met director of
different disciplines, should make it easier for teachers
I understand.”
to accommodate cross-arts projects when they present
Confucius
education Paul Reeve to discuss its wide-
themselves.
“The more we can network with schools and
ranging education work, creative partnerships, and their
teachers, the better. We are particularly keen to “You don’t understand
encourage singing in schools.
“a lot of children stop singing when they get to
anything until you learn it
fight to overcome elitist attitudes
secondary school, or if they do continue to sing they
don’t always progress or develop their vocal skills.
more than one way.”
That’s something we’re keen to address.” Marvin Minsky
he facT that neither opera nor ballet They will then be recorded and used as front-of-house Mr Reeve is also keen for the ROh to get involved
T
are on the national curriculum strikes announcements.” in the extended schools activities as a means of
Paul Reeve, director of education at Details of the fanfare competition can be found on engaging with wider communities.
“The important thing is not
the Royal Opera house (ROh), as an the ROh website as well as on YouTube, Numu and Weekend courses in ballet teaching, encouraging
advantage. various teachers’ websites. dancers and teachers to acquire the skills needed
so much that every child
“It means teachers can approach In Manchester, the ROh is working with the halle to lead creative dance activities in a variety of
should be taught, as that
them on their own terms and not feel Orchestra as part of a three-year programme called educational and community settings, take place at
forced into tackling them because they are prescribed,” Stage Players, offering young orchestral musicians the the ROh from September to July, and a special every child should be given
says Mr Reeve, who took up his post in 2006 after six opportunity to work on the ballet repertoire. Next year chatroom has been set up to foster dialogue between
years as opera education manager. they will explore the opera repertoire with a Suffolk- the participants.
the wish to learn.”
When he joined the ROh in 2000, the education based youth orchestra, and the final year will consist of The harnessing of new technology is obviously key
John Lubbock
department had a staff of six. It is now a 22-strong team, a three-day residential course featuring both opera and to Mr Reeve’s agenda, both in terms of demystifying
one of the largest of any performing arts organisation ballet music. the work of the ROh, as well as setting out the
in europe. another example of the education department’s education department’s stall. “People learn something
Because of its unique standing in the world of creative partnerships is Street Stories, a collaboration The superb website boasts a dazzling array of
international performing arts, the ROh has always had between the ROh and east London Dance, based in images, videos, podcasts, archive material from the
every day, and a lot of
a problem defining its educational role. Should it serve Stratford, which is bringing together professional artists ROh collections, and information about all aspects of
the immediate community, should it reach out to the and young people, aged between 14 and 21, from the the covent Garden operation. There are six new films of
times it’s that what they
whole country, or should it be thinking even further community to create dance and music theatre, using ballet masterclasses now available online. Whiteboard
learned the day before was
afield? storytelling, hip-hop, jazz, dance and opera. resources are also being developed to deliver curriculum-
Mr Reeve wrestles with these questions every day, as as a result of last year’s work, east London Dance friendly interactive resources relating to the making of wrong.”
well as dealing with the prejudices and preconceptions presented a 45-minute devised show entitled The Last particular operas and ballets. SecEd
Bill Vaughan
many people have about opera and ballet and the elitist Genie, based on The Thief of Baghdad, at the ROh’s
tag often attached to covent Garden. Linbury Studio in December 2008. • Nick Smurthwaite is a freelance education journalist.
“My view is that if we tried to cover the whole Mr Reeve believes passionately that the arts should
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country, we’d end up spreading ourselves too thin,” he be central to children’s educational entitlement. he
Further information
editor@sec-ed.co.uk
explained. was cheered by the secretary of state for culture, Ben www.roh.org.uk
“We’d simply be doing hit and run jobs without Bradshaw’s, commitment to the arts at Labour’s party
any sustained commitment on either side. So we have conference last year, promising five hours of quality
tried to develop a proactive approach where we pin our arts education every week.
on
colours to the mast and keep them there for a period “The arts enable us to understand each other and Organised by
of time. make sense of the world,” he continued.
Camer
“at the same time, we’re conscious of the need to “fun and a sense of play are under-rated qualities in

balance this in-depth work with our wish to widen our learning. even at key stage 3 and 4, children and young D
Delivering
iplomas
reach.” people should be given space within their learning to The UK’s only magazine dedicated to the 14-19 Diploma
Michael
currently the ROh has 120 creative partnerships or keep playing and developing creatively. We all know
learning projects in essex, Ipswich, Salford and Greater that the mastering of artistic skills helps to build self-
Manchester, Kent, and in four London boroughs – confidence and self-esteem.”
The 5th National Conference on
Photograph: hammersmith and fulham, Southwark, Newham, and One of the hardest aspects of Mr Reeve’s job is
Lambeth. overcoming an inverted snobbery about opera and
Projects range from the long-running Write an classical dance, especially as children move up to
Opera scheme for key stage 2 children and dance secondary school. This prejudice often extends to the Delivering
classes for the partially sighted, to carpentry and scenic teaching staff, he said.
painting workshops with young offenders in Thurrock, “There is something about the word opera, and
where the ROh is soon to establish its set and scenery what it has come to mean, that is problematic for some
construction base. teachers, and I understand that. It is our job to find ways Diplomas:
Mr Reeve’s latest initiative is a fanfare competition to offload that baggage and get them to think differently
aimed at key stage 3 to find a 30-second piece of music about opera and ballet, to understand the skills that are
the ROh can use to shepherd its audiences back into the needed to deliver these art forms.
opera house after the interval has finished. “There is such a lot of mystique surrounding opera
Sustaining Delivery
”We wanted a simple idea that could be slotted and ballet, but when you break them down they are the
into the key stage 3 curriculum. The winning entries most fantastic educational resources. To my way of
will attend a workshop and arrange their fanfares thinking, opera is the ultimate and original multimedia
Eighteen months into the delivery of Diplomas, an increasingly vital consideration
with a professional composer for the ROh orchestra. art form, combining drama, music, and design.
for all consortia is ensuring that their delivery models are sustainable. This is just
as vital for new partnerships gearing up for delivery as it is for more established
consortia.
Paul Reeve – a biography
The Fifth National Delivering Diplomas conference focuses on this crucial aspect
of successful Diploma delivery – sustaining partnerships, engagement and
Paul Reeve’s first experience of the lyric arts was as a child, when he had the opportunity to perform in an
enthusiasm.
With staff moving on, parents and students still becoming accustomed to
opera at Glyndebourne, having been selected from the local secondary school.
the qualifi cation, and a tough fi nancial climate making businesses count the
His interest in music and drama continued to develop and led to him training at Rose Bruford College
pennies, how can consortia ensure they have the structures and systems in place
to safeguard the quality of their offer? And as the number of Diploma subjects
in Kent. After graduating with a theatre arts degree, he worked in theatre and music theatre, directing two
increase, how can the demands of the numerous lines be balanced?
plays in the West End. The event also looks at the individual Diploma components, offering unrivalled
He was involved in a number of pioneering educational projects at Greenwich Young People’s Theatre,
access to best practice advice on topics like IAG, Functional Skills, work experience,
additional and specialist learning, and timetabling.
Molecule Theatre of Science, and the Orange Tree, Richmond. He also wrote a children’s book, as well as
writing and presenting an educational series for children’s television.
He moved into arts education on a permanent basis 15 years ago, initially as education officer at the
Lakeside Conference Centre,
Royal Shakespeare Company, then as education manager for English Touring Opera. He joined the Royal
Aston University, Birmingham
BOOK
Opera House as opera education manager in 2000, assuming the role of deputy director of education in
Thursday 18th March 2010
2004.
NOW
He was appointed director of education in 2006. The post is responsible for a programme that embraces
Sponsored by
ballet, opera and orchestral education work.
For a brochure, visit
There is also a rapidly evolving strand of activity focusing on the backstage crafts, particularly in Thurrock
www.deliveringdiplomas.co.uk
and the Thames Gateway, where ROH Education took over the running of the Creative Partnerships
and follow the link or call
020 7501 6762
programme in April 2008.
Mr Reeve has recently served on the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust’s Music Expert Panel and on
the advisory group for the Learning Outside the Classroom initiative.
He was a board member of Signed Performances in Theatre (promoting access to theatre for deaf
PUTTING EDUCATION FIRST
people) for eight years and is currently the chairman of East London Dance, one of the national dance
agencies.
diplomas copy.indd 6 12/1/10 10:07:55
SecEd • January 14 2010 9
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