From the Co-op to Boundary Road

This exhibition form a a partnership between Edge Hill University,St Helens LEA and the Heritage Lottery Fund. Pupils will enjoy exploring dances such as the Ballroom, Jive, Twist and Disco whilst considering the social culture of each period and how relationships flourished on the dance floor. In addition there will be visits to former dance halls throughout the St. Helens area such as Boundary Road Baths, Rainford Village Hall, the YMCA to assist in re-enactments so that a full interpretation of the period can be produced. Furthermore pupils will be reminiscing with members of partner groups such as Silhouette Dance Club, Age Concern and independently with their families, neighbours and friends all of who have many memories to share. These events will assist the children in creating a film and exhibition, which will archive the work and most importantly gain an insight in our heritage in St Helens. Hopefully this can be displayed in local libraries and in the World of Glass. The dance/drama re-enactments will be performed both in schools and within the wider community for the enjoyment of all. There will be filming and displays of memorabilia from the eras listed throughout the town. The project will explore social dance in St Helens over a forty-year period and will support many cross –curricula themes. The study will impact upon literacy (speaking and listening), dance (dances from different times and places), visual art (the culture and architecture of their chosen period), geography (shifts in population and this impacted on the North West), PHSE (social changes in dialogue, etiquette and protocol over the period) ICT (the construction of power point material, internet research, filming and photography). The project will address, at KS2 level, in both theory and practice: • creative teaching styles • how learning happens The work will then focus in more detail on a range of techniques that highlight the concept of learning through doing and the outside classroom. This content will act as a foundation for the teaching pack to be published as a result. The following offers indicative criteria that might form the basis of the teaching: • The social dance lesson structure • The drama structure and bank of techniques • Developing teaching aims and rationales appropriate for class • Organising lesson structures to meet aims and for continuity, progression, variety, inclusiveness, differentiation and active learning • Offering feedback that is timely, sensitive, insightful, effective, preemptory and reactive, balancing both group and individual needs • Breaking down tasks, setting tasks for variable outcome, responding to teacher/pupil initiated tasks • Developing technical competence – alignment, placement, range, accuracy, phrasing, use of weight, flow and musicality The main learning and teaching format for the project will be formal and practical demonstrations, teacher and pupil led workshops, and directed independent study, though the occasional instruction format will to address examples of research, oral history and criteria for good information processing.