Children & the Arts

When talking to anybody about education work now at Oxford Playhouse, I find this is the project I can most clearly talk about and find that people most clearly respond to. Rupert Rowbotham, Head of Education, Oxford Playhouse  

Start provides primary and secondary school students who might never otherwise have the chance, the opporunity to engage with the arts.

At the heart of Start is our desire to make cultural venues accessible for a new generation.  A typical Start project will provide participants with the opportunity to engage with their local cultural venue by attending at least two professional performances, concerts or exhibitions as well as taking part in an engaging enrichment programme based around these experiences. The Start programme aims to encourage students to develop the confidence and enthusiasm to continue their engagement with their local cultural venue beyond the life of an individual project.

Information about how become one of our 2009/10 Start partners will be available online in December 2008. We will be looking for to work with people who can deliver projects that are:

• high quality
• target children who are unlikely to have visited arts venues before
• accessible for the audience targeted
• offer opportunities for creative learning and skills development
• can be sustained over a period of time
• build upon your organisation’s current education programme

You can download the 2008/09 Start application guidelines for more information