North Wales Feedback Fusion March 2020
A massive Congratulations to you and thank you for all your hard work, we loved it! It felt wonderful to be part of a very special atmosphere.
Pupils feedback, full of plenty of positives, they really enjoyed it.
Best wishes,
Nicola and Michelle and San Sior pupils.
Hi Rachel,
Thank you to you and the team – what a brilliant day and night. Brilliantly organised and delivered.
Everything went smoothly and it was a very slick show. Very professional all round.
Thank you for the opportunity. Please keep me informed with details for 2021.
Mrs Debbie Eccles Headteacher Victoria CP School
Hi Rachael,
A huge thank you to you and all of your team too. I was amazed by how well everything pulled together on the night, culminating in a fabulous show. Our children really enjoyed it and got such a lot out of taking part.
The workshops that we managed to attend were great. We very much relied on parents getting them to the workshops and back as we would have struggled to release staff to attend with such small numbers of children. Next year, now that we know how it all works, we will be more organised and book children in earlier for each of the workshops, rather than leaving it the last minute.
We look forward to taking part again next year.
Thanks again,
Lisa
Alexandra CP school
Thank you so much for everything – our children have thoroughly enjoyed taking part in all of the workshops, and especially the end performance! Also some of our Year 3 pupils have told me they want to take part next year.. so please count us in!!
Enjoy a well deserved rest now – although I know you have other AmaSing performances to go still.
Diolch, Rhian
Ysgol y Llan Whitford
Hello Rachael
I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for all of your hard work and dedication to Amasing. It has been a thoroughly enjoyable experience for our pupils and I have personally loved it too.
To take your idea and turn it into what it has become is a very special thing indeed and I hope you take the time to pat yourself on the back for your wonderful achievement.
Your whole team have been fantastic but I would like to thank Kelly from House of Dance in particular as she put her heart and soul into getting the children to perform to the best of their ability tonight and the children really enjoyed her enthusiasm.
I hope you are able to enjoy a bit of a rest now it’s all over. I think you have definitely earned yourself some time to chill.
I hope we can get involved again next year. It’s been a truly Amasing experience 😊 Iain St Marys Flint
Ahh just wanted to say a huge big thank you for all your hard work and enthusiasm. My children absolutely loved every minute and we’ve had lovely comments from our parents who came too 😊 It was such a fab night and I can only imagine how much hard work and effort it has taken from you to put it all together.
Hope you can relax once all the shows are done! Thank you again
Sarah xx
Deputy Head
Ysgol Sant Dunawd
The children thoroughly enjoyed themselves and a lot of them experienced something they never will again.
Our school would love to be involved again. Thanks very much for the opportunity. It was extremely well run and you did an Amasing job J
Ian Price teacher Ewloe Green
We have absolutely enjoyed it and thank you for inviting us to perform and we would love to do it next year. It’s been a fab two days and well done to all your team, You have amazing colleagues and can’t wait for next year.
Sharon Nesbitt Performing arts teacher Castell Alun
Thank you so much for all your hard work, the children had such a wonderful afternoon and evening, it was brilliant and we were really proud to be part of it. There are a couple more schools who I know would like to be involved so if you let me know info for new project will pass info onto them. We would definitely like to be involved again it was a wonderful opportunity. I can’t believe the energy and motivation that you and the whole team have- you do an amazing job quite literally.
Ceri Deputy Acrefair School
The Amasing concert was fantastic and all the children had a brilliant time. All our parents told me how super it was. Well done to you and the team:)
Rob Borras Park School Head Teacher.
Feedback From AmaSing 2018/19
Examples of quotes taken from feedback from twitter and emails
Head Teacher Dodleston Primary– We would like to thank you so much for your hard work, enthusiasm and energy in giving our children such an incredible experience at the Storyhouse which they will never forget.
Head St Oswald’s Mollington– Today I was reminded why I was a teacher. Over 1000 children singing their hearts out at Storyhouse as part of the AmaSing projects- such fun to be part of and truly inspirational for all involved.
Oliver and Co solicitors- We had such a fantastic night at Storyhouse. It was a fabulous evening with so much talent. Well done to all the performers – you were all AMASING!!!!
Artsmark– What a superb evening with Artsmark partner Amasing Projects CIC. It was amazing to see over 1000 children deliver such fantastic performances. Well done everyone – this is a true example of community engagement in the arts. Parents/ public- Wow fabulous performances tonight- thank you so much for inspiring so many children to have self-belief and go for their dreams! Inspirational, and such a talent, it really was amazing!!! Well done to all involved.
Chester Zoo – Hannah Brookes Community Engagement Manager – I just wanted to get in touch and say that last night was INCREDIBLE!!! The event was so much more than I expected, your event took everything to a whole new level! It was evident that SO much work went into the preparation, production and work with the children so massive well done and congratulations!
Ashley Faith Composer- I just wanted to say that I was absolutely floored by the performance last night. What you managed to achieve was wonderful, and I can’t even imagine how much time and effort went into pulling off a show like that. I’m genuinely honoured and humbled that “Singing for Songbirds” was chosen as one of the songs selected, and to see it performed by so many children was a career highlight.
Nicola Haigh- Storyhouse – Omg I’m beaming! It’s phenomenal what you have made happen! You have made such an impact on so many kids’ lives and so many people have walked through the doors for the first time! Just AmaSing. What a phenomenal experience it will have been and so special for those kids to perform on that stage in their city.
Una Meenan– Chester University What a spectacular night watching this phenomenal AmaSing concert. Tears streaming and bursting with pride listening to 100s of Cheshire kids singing!
The Philip Barker Centre for Creative Learning – Incredible evening filled with spine tingling performances. So very proud we were able to support the incredible AmaSing Projects CIC concerts. This is what happens when young people are given fantastic art, drama, dance and music opportunities/ education. Congratulations to Rachael for all she has achieved with 1000 plus pupils from across Cheshire. Incredibly proud of the talent and cooperation from everyone.
Elaine Smithies- Macmillan Cancer Support Charity – Thank you AmaSing for choosing Macmillan to support through your amazing projects. It has been awe inspiring what you have achieved.
Feedback From Schools and Participants in AmaSing Projects
Emma Bush – Senior Manager Programmes Lead for Artsmark and Arts Award North West Region – The Amasing project has led schools to develop a more strategic and collaborative approach to Artsmark and Arts Award through exceptional partnership working. AmaSing’s established network of schools and the funding from MBNA has enabled a critical mass of schools to engage in both the Artsmark Process and Arts Award as part of this already successful creative project; this has led us to work with Chester to become one of the first places in the region to become an Artsmark Town (working towards 50% of schools registered for Artsmark).
This has been a pilot for us and Arts Council England exploring schools registering as a group and working collaboratively made possible by an innovative approach to identifying funding and sponsorship. This creative process alongside the outstanding quality of the final performances is an example of creative best practice that we plan to share regionally.
Una Meehan- Senior Lecturer and Lead for Young People – For the past two years the Philip Barker Centre for Creative Learning has been delighted to facilitate and create an innovative partnership between AmaSing and the Faculty of Education at the University of Chester. This year has seen the partnership grow from strength to strength with an extensive enrichment programme for students training as primary teachers. Over the past six months, students gained invaluable experiences in the form of masterclasses in art, drama and music followed by workshops working with primary aged pupils in schools, care homes and at the university. Throughout, student teachers have worked collaboratively with artists and experienced teachers to develop an array of artistic tools that can be applied to their own teaching practice, as well as developing an in-depth understanding as to why the arts are a vital part of a broad and balanced curriculum. They have been inspired by teachers and colleagues who are focused on increasing opportunities for creativity within the curriculum. Cheshire West is becoming an Artsmark borough and as such we have an array of talented and creative teachers across Cheshire standing up for arts education. These teachers have provided placements for students and supported them to lead music sessions that develop their confidence in teaching a musical repertoire to primary aged students. Nationally, the curriculum appears to becoming increasingly narrow in its focus, yet these students are actively encouraged to value the arts both at university and in our Cheshire schools. They do not stand alone, they are seeing first-hand what happens when we work collaboratively and this was optimised by 1000 plus primary aged pupils performing a plethora of powerful songs at Storyhouse. Students have had the opportunity to lead workshops on connectivity and what it means to be a part of community. One group visited a care home to deliver an art workshop alongside primary pupils and older generations, enabling them to explore challenging issues such as dementia and loneliness in a safe environment. Student confidence has grown, they have felt part of growing community across the county that celebrates the importance of feeling connected to your community and a clear recognition that teaching the arts is an essential element of the development and teaching of young people. We were delighted that this year, all participating students were able to gain arts advisor status via Curious Minds. We are thrilled that these students will become champions of the arts in their placements schools, but also be able to apply this expertise as a core part of their practice.
Hannah Brookes Community Engagement Manager – I just wanted to get in touch and say that last night was INCREDIBLE!!! The event was so much more than I expected, your event took everything to a whole new level! It was evident that SO much work went into the preparation, production and work with the children so massive well done and congratulations! Ashley Faith Composer- I just wanted to say that I was absolutely floored by the performance last night. What you managed to achieve was wonderful, and I can’t even imagine how much time and effort went into pulling off a show like that. I’m genuinely honoured and humbled that “Singing for Songbirds” was chosen as one of the songs selected, and to see it performed by so many children was a career highlight
Nikkie Kirkman-Head Teacher St Theresa’s Blacon The opportunity to engage with AMASING has been a phenomenal success for our school pupils. Many children in the local area have few opportunities to engage in such an exciting and professional stage experience. The opportunity to sing, dance and perform with such a wide range of other children and adults locally would be impossible to achieve without the AMASING performance which has now become a main feature of the school calendar. The inclusive nature of the shows together with the opportunity for the children to learn about and support people less fortunate than themselves is a huge part of what makes the event so significant for so many children and their families. When pupils are collected after the show, the proud, beaming faces of the families and those of the children who have performed are a joy to see as congratulations and praise are shared. The organisation and planning that goes into making this event such a success is exceptional. Everyone at this school hopes that the event will continue for many years and become one of the happy school memories that this generation of children take forward with them into adulthood, perhaps even sowing the seeds of new ambition and for future careers in theatre performance or management. Thanks are due to all the sponsors and organisers without whom this event would not take place.
Jo Williams Deputy Head Dee Banks-As a special school, we were extremely proud to be able to take part in the Amasing project this year. We are rarely able to take part in events with mainstream settings so it was fantastic to share in these experiences with other local schools and to be so welcomed by everyone involved. Our pupils thrive through the Arts and music in particular which supports not only their learning but also confidence and well being. Experiencing live music and singing as part of a mass choir was a wonderful opportunity for our students to benefit from an arts project and achieve taking part in a big performance despite the many barriers they face to learning. Precious memories were made from this unforgettable and emotional experience and all staff and students involved are asking if we can do this again!
Emily Reid Deputy Head Teacher– St Bernards Ellesmere Port Here at St Bernard’s we see Amasing as one of the key opportunities to help us deliver the Cultural Education Challenge, set by the Arts Council of England. It helps us to enrich our arts curriculum and provide children with an authentic opportunity to participate and perform. Amasing is a positive and inclusive experience, which actively involves children in the creation of music, drama and art. The workshops, that ran alongside the main event, have allowed individual children at our school to develop their creativity and communication skills. When on stage at the Storyhouse, our school choir felt an extreme sense of belonging and were able to perform to a live audience, an experience that many of them have never had before. There was a great sense of achievement and the children continue to talk about this event many months after. We will continue to be involved in the Amasing project in the future as we know the benefits it provides to our children, especially the opportunity to complete an Arts Award as part of the experience.
Mike Bousfield Headteacher Cherry Grove Boughton -Amasing provides a fantastic opportunity to be part of an arts project with many other local children. Participating in the arts is obviously inherently valuable in that it develops creativity, imagination, discipline, critical thinking, confidence and a love of learning. This experience is especially powerful because it allows the children to be part of something on a large scale that really connects them to their community and to be aware of the opportunities available locally to enjoy the arts. The involvement of top quality partners such as the Storyhouse and the links to issues such as palm oil production, refugees, mental health etc. provide excellent learning experiences for our children which ultimately benefit the whole community. I can’t think of a cause more worthy of the support of important local businesses.
Naomi Antice Music Lead Manor House Frodsham -Last year was our first experience of Amasing and it certainly was an experience. We really enjoyed the songs and concert but the important part of this event for us was working on the songs back at school. Not only were they great fun but many had important messages for all pupils to explore helping them to understand the world of those with dementia, the journeys of refugees, developing aspirations and the importance of conservation enabling our pupils to be the best they can be as citizens of a world wide community. We are looking forward to next year already.
Wenda Smith Head Teacher St Martins Academy Hoole Chester -The children from St Martin’s Academy have been involved in the Amasing project since its inception in 2017/18. As a smaller than average city primary school, Amasing has given our children the opportunity to be part of something so much bigger than themselves, meeting new friends, trying new things and ultimately performing in Chester’s biggest and best performance venue. However, for our children, it’s is not just about inspiring a love for the creative and performing arts, which it does in bucket loads, its is about building confidence, developing independence and opening our children’s eyes to the wonderful world of opportunity.
Laura Dalton Upton Westlea Arts / Music Lead -The AmaSing project has been an excellent opportunity for the children at Upton Westlea for many reasons! They have learnt about the experiences and been part of an event to support a variety of causes such as the refugees and the palm oil movement,they enjoyed learning songs for the purpose of a large performance alongside other schools and achieved an Arts Award for their participation. Our children look forward to AmaSing each year and cannot wait to see what happens in its future! We are very grateful for the opportunity to be involved!
Dave Wallace Head of St Oswald’s CE Primary School Mollington-AmaSing was a fantastic experience for all the children who took part. Not only was it a superb opportunity to be part of a missed singing event but it also gave children an opportunity to perform on a professional stage in their hometown city. Their enthusiasm for this was incredible! AmaSing also provided a number of workshops for children to attend with particular skills in singing, dancing and drama etc. These were of great benefit to our children. Some of the children we sent were ones who don’t always shine at the more traditional academic subjects and allowing them to represent the school at arts specific workshops has done wonders for their confidence. We really hope AmaS9ng will continue and plan to be part of it every year.
Sarah Curtis Head Teacher Meadow Community Primary School Ellesmere Port -It was once again amazing to be part of AmaSing for the second year running. The project expanded supporting more art forms and provided some fantastic opportunities for our pupils and staff to develop new skills in a variety of art forms. The performances in Storyhouse allowed the children to perform on a stage which they would never normally get the chance to and they loved the experience. We will continue to take part in Amasing projects supporting our broad and balanced curriculum in school and provide exciting opportunities for our pupils through projects like this.
Kathryn Oates Headteacher St Werburgh’s and St Columbas Primary School Hoole Chester- We hold arts in our school as high priority and through projects like Amasing we are able to provide amazing opportunities for our children and staff to work with specialists and acquire skills and new experiences that they wouldn’t be able to access in the everyday curriculum. The shows at Storyhouse are a wonderful example of lots of school communities coming together to celebrate their talent and really build on the students self esteem and confidence. They are of a very high standard and it’s a real event in a professional theatre that the children remember and are excited to be part of. It is lovely to see so many groups of children with variety of needs, cultures etc coming together singing for charities. St Werburgh’s will continue to support projects such as Amasing and are really grateful to have these opportunities especially as budgets in schools are growing so tight. Without Amasing we would not have been able to give children the Arts Award or go for Artsmark status so we are really pleased that we were able to do that.
Marian Ryder Head Teacher St Clares RC Primary School Lache Chester -We have taken part in the Amasing projects since they started in 2017/18 and every year they seem to grow and get bigger and better. Rachael never stops and is an inspiration for arts in education. The opportunities our children gain from the project are fantastic ranging from fun and inspiring arts workshops leading up to a brilliant, professional celebratory show with many school communities collaborating together and lots of children singing their hearts out. These opportunities working with arts specialists, building links with communities and The University, Chester Zoo, developing staff skills would not be possible to this extent if it was not for projects like Amasing and we are grateful for being part of it. It is a really joyful, positive event and the students in my school have grown in confidence and loved performing their own songs which they took part in creating in the workshops. Another bonus of the project was being able to give pupils an individual Arts Award and support our school to go for Artsmark Status too