Schools Festival Programme 2024-25 

This year Wac Arts are celebrating their 25th anniversary at the Grade II listed Old Town Hall in Belsize Park. As part of the celebrations, on the 23rd of May, Wac Arts were thrilled to welcome four schools to come together at the Old Town Hall to celebrate the culmination of over 60 hours of dedicated work from their students for the Wac Arts School Festival. 

Over the course of several workshops students explored what heritage means to them, celebrating their own legacies and exploring cultural identity. Students worked alongside professional artists to develop new skills in areas such as creative writing, spoken word, devising, performance, printmaking, animation and visual art.

The Festival day saw participating schools come together to take part in practical workshops, curate their own exhibition, and share live performances with family and friends. We also welcomed Central School of Speech and Drama to run a workshop exploring creative career paths as part of our new partnership.

Thank you so much to everyone involved in making this year’s School Festival Programme a success.

When will the Schools Festival Programme start? 

Introductory Workshops will take place from September to January 2025. Specific dates will be agreed by your school prior to the summer holidays. 

What time will the sessions take place, within the school day or after? 

This is completely up to you. All sessions will be scheduled to fit around your school timetable. We will agree on the dates and times of your sessions before the beginning of the Summer Holidays in July 2024. 

Where will the Schools FESTIVAL PROGRAMME Workshops take place? 

Introductory Workshops: We encourage Creative Project Groups to visit Wac Arts for this initial session. Inspire your students with a visit to the historic Old Town Hall building in Belsize Park! Alternatively, your first workshop can take place at your school if preferred. 

Creative Workshops: These take place at your school once every half-term leading up to the Schools Festival Day.

The Schools Festival Day, Friday 23rd May 2025: The event will be held at Wac Arts, Old Town Hall, 213 Haverstock Hill, London, NW3 4QP.  

What resources will Wac Arts provide?  

 Where possible, all groups are encouraged to consider sustainability and source reusable materials for their projects. Additional resources that are specific to your Creative Project Group and may incur a cost can be explored with your Wac Arts Facilitator during the process. 

What is the commitment for teachers?  

• Initial meeting with the Schools Festival team (30 mins). This will take place during Autumn Term 2024 to align diaries and answer queries in advance of the School Festival Programme commencing. 
• The Lead Contact for each school will be responsible for all administration and correspondence with the Schools Festival team for the duration of the Programme. 
• Support and liaise with your Wac Arts Facilitator during Creative Workshops to ensure smooth running of sessions. Each workshop is 2-hours long and occurs monthly leading up to the Schools Festival Day (10 hours in total). 
• Arrange transport for young people to and from The Old Town Hall for Introductory Workshop and/ or the Schools Festival Day. 
• The Schools Festival Day will run from 10:00-18:15 on Friday 23rd May 2025. Although Wac Arts staff will be present, schools are responsible for providing staff to supervise their Creative Project Group(s) on this day. 

How many young people can be involved in each Creative Project Group? 

We suggest groups of minimum 10 and maximum 30 young people. 

What if we have to miss a session due to other school commitments (exams/trips/open evenings)? 

We request that you schedule your Wac Arts Workshops at a time that suits your school and your young people. Sessions can be rearranged with a minimum of two weeks prior notice of the scheduled workshop however workshops cancelled after that time may not be rescheduled.

Can we work on our Creative Project outside of our sessions with the Wac Arts Facilitator? 

Absolutely! We encourage Creative Project groups to meet regularly outside of the half-termly touch points with Wac Arts, such as weekly after-school or for additional rehearsals nearer the Schools Festival Day. Please note these sessions will be at the discretion of each school and will not be led by Wac Arts. 

What happens on the SCHOOLS Festival DAY? 

Creative Arts groups will exhibit their work in Wac Arts’ Victorian interior and Performing Arts groups will perform onstage in our Main Hall. All Creative Project Groups will benefit from a final specialist workshop as well as a full technical and dress rehearsal run by Wac Arts before the final performance and exhibition.   

The audience will be made up of invited guests including families, friends and fellow young people. 

Who can attend the Exhibitions and Performances on the Schools Festival day? 

Family, friends and members of the community will be able to purchase Pay What You Can tickets for the Exhibition and Live Performances. Ticket information will be disclosed nearer the time of the Schools Festival Day. 

can we keep the artwork created for the Creative Arts Exhibition?

Wac Arts may retain some of the artwork to display for a period of time in our building as part of our 25^th anniversary celebrations. Afterwards, schools are welcome to reclaim any of the artwork they wish to keep. 

What are the technical requirements/ limitations? 

Live Performances: You may use audio or music within your piece. Wac Arts has a lighting rig suitable for standard colour washes. 

Creative Arts Exhibitions: You may use audio or music within your piece. Please be aware that you may be sharing the exhibition space with another Creative Project Group. 

Your Wac Arts Facilitator will be responsible for managing technical requirements of your Creative Project(s). 

Terms & conditions

Terms-and-Conditions-SFPDownload