Burberry puts arts education back in Armley school

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A school in Armley is taking part in programme to understand how deep experience of the arts can have a positive effect on young people’s lives.

Students from Dixons Unity Academy in Armley (formerly Swallow Hill)  will join pupils from nine other schools across West Yorkshire for the Burberry Foundation‘s first in-school arts and culture programmes.

The impact of the four-year programme will be studied by researchers from the Policy Institute at King’s College London, who will examine how cultural and creative education can help young people to transcend challenging circumstances, widen their horizons and realise their aspirations.

The ‘Burberry Inspire’ programme will be delivered in eight schools in Yorkshire, and run by four eminent, local organisations across theatre, film, dance and art: Leeds Playhouse, Leeds Young Film, Northern Ballet and The Hepworth Wakefield.

Each of the four organisations will provide the schools with a dedicated Artist in Residence who will give Key Stage 3 students wide-ranging, hands-on experience of different areas of the creative arts.

Leeds Playhouse will help students explore their sense of what it means to represent the future of Yorkshire today, inspired by the play ‘Partition’, a story about the impact of heritage. They will also have the opportunity to work with voice coaches, public speakers and performers.

Leeds Young Film will run film-making related workshops to develop transferable skills including virtual reality, documentary, music video, social media, vlogging and art film; developing the students’ technical abilities, problem solving and creative communication.

Northern Ballet will introduce the students to creative dance, developing their confidence and team working skills and helping them to discover different ways to express themselves through a universal language of movement for diverse communities.

Leanne Wood, a Trustee of the Burberry Foundation and Chief People, Strategy and Corporate Affairs Officer at Burberry, said:

“We believe that creativity should be nurtured, and we are passionate about championing the benefits of making arts and culture available to all.

“We want to inspire young people across the country to explore the wide variety of ways they can be involved in the creative industries, and help to create a wealth of talent for one of Britain’s most important sectors.”

Created in close partnership with the Ideas Foundation, a charity which helps to move the creative, tech and communications industries in a more diverse direction.

CORRECTION: This article has been amended to remove mention of the Co-Op Academy at Priesthorpe, which is not part of the Burberry programme. Our apologies for any confusion.

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