Schools Festival Programme 2024-25
Wac Arts is thrilled to announce the Wac Arts Schools Festival Programme for academic year 2024-25. We are offering up to 7 secondary schools in Camden and the surrounding boroughs the opportunity to devise and create original performances and/ or creative exhibitions to be shared at the Wac Arts Schools Festival on Friday 23rd May 2025.
This year the theme is Celebration of Heritage! Participating schools will unlock their creative potential by exploring what heritage means to them and celebrating their own legacies. Schools will join Wac Arts in celebrating our 25th Anniversary at the Grade II Listed Old Town Hall in Belsize Park. Schools can submit a Creative Project Group of 10-30 young people to devise:
- A Live Performance (Year 9-10) Theatre, Dance, Spoken Word, Music, Singing, Movement, etc.
- A Creative Arts Exhibition (Year 7-10) Visual Arts, Painting, Collage, Drawing, Combined Arts, etc.
Each school can submit a maximum of 2 groups.
Schools from the following boroughs are invited to apply Camden, Hammersmith & Fulham, Ealing, Brent, Westminster, Barnet, Harrow, Kensington & Chelsea and the Cities of London.
The fee per Creative Project Group for the 2024-25 Schools Festival Programme is £540. Wac Arts heavily subsidise participating schools involved in the Schools Festival Programme, the full value equating to £2,600 per Creative Project Group.
The Schools Festival Programme aims to harnesses creative industry artists to expertly encourage and support young people to work collaboratively to create unique responses to the theme.
Participating schools will receive the following:
A Wac Arts Facilitator will be allocated to each Creative Project Group to support young people and teachers throughout the creative process.
Introductory Workshop Each Creative Project Group will meet their Wac Arts Facilitator during a 2-hr practical workshop introducing them to Wac Arts and the theme of the project. This session can take place at Wac Arts or at your school.
Creative Workshops Wac Arts Facilitators will deliver a 2-hr practical session each half term in the build-up to the festival (10 hours of support in total), supporting each Creative Project Group with their creative arts or rehearsal process.
Schools Festival 23 May 2025 Creative Project Groups from each school come together at Wac Arts’ Grade II Listed Building in Belsize Park for a day of workshops and to showcase their hard work in front of an invited audience.
Apply now via the Schools Festival Programme Application Form.
The deadline for applications is Friday 5th July 2024.
With limited places available, we encourage you to apply as early as possible. Please note that once all slots are filled, we may close applications before the deadline.
If you have any questions about the Schools Festival Programme, require support with your application, or would like to request it in a different format, please email schools@wacarts.co.uk.
FAQ’s
Introductory Workshops will take place from September to October 2024. Specific dates will be agreed by your school prior to the summer holidays.
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.
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.
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.
- Initial meeting with the Schools Festival team (30 mins). This will take place during Summer 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 once per half-term 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.
We suggest groups of minimum 10 and maximum 30 young people.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Wac Arts may retain some of the artwork to display for a period of time in our building as part of our 25th anniversary celebrations. Afterwards, schools are welcome to reclaim any of the artwork they wish to keep.
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).