Mixed Up in Classrooms across Berwick

    8 December 2021

    During November some of the youngest pupils across Berwick Partnership First Schools have been enjoying the Mixed Up programme in their playgrounds and classrooms. Maltings working in partnership with Culture Bridge North East, has worked with the highly regarded childrens’ theatre organisations: Starcatchers and Imaginate – who’ve developed Mixed Up with Edinburgh based artist Katy Wilson during lockdown to specifically support very young children’s wellbeing. Due to Covid restrictions the programme is a film-based resource that teachers can use with pupils in school.

    In early November we held a CPD session for teachers at The Maltings led by the Starcatchers team, it gave teachers time to watch the films and try the activity for themselves. There are four films in the programme that take children through a journey, trying out beatboxing, dancing and drawing. Mixed Up allows the children time to explore movement and rhythm at their own level, and they used dance, sound, streamers and chalks to bring this altogether. A teacher said about the programme:

    “it has been one of my best days in the classroom (and playground) for a long time. The children were so engaged and there was such a lovely vibe all morning. Hopefully the experience will stay with the children for a long time.”