Free Theatre Tickets to Islington Primary Schools

The Pitch

Problem statement

Funding cuts have been forcing Islington schools to put limits on arts subjects. This means that local children increasingly lack creative opportunities that support their oracy and literacy development, as well as self-esteem. While social factors make our children particularly in need of the advantages of the arts, financial barriers prevent them from participating. Approximately 50% of pupils from our partner schools are eligible for free school meals, over 10% receive SEN support & 40% have English as an additional language - this is an above average level of need. Without access to cultural, community-led activities, these children would be subject to reinforcing cycles of deprivation.

Solution

LAT re-incorporates creativity into the curriculum without the financial burden. We are committed to offering at minimum one theatre visit to every pupil at our partner schools, continuing this engagement from nursery to year 6. In 2023, we offered 2,298 partner school tickets and we wish to continue this throughout 2024. This funding shall cover the subsidised (by LAT) £6.50 cost of theatre tickets for 461 children. This covers 12% of our total costs for the year! "They were so engaged from the beginning to the end of the show. We spoke about it after and wrote about the show too. It is not something the majority of the children would be able to do otherwise.” Teacher, Partner School

Why are we best placed to deliver?

Little Angel Theatre has been fuelling the imaginations of the youngest minds since 1961, via the magic and wonder of puppetry. We were recently awarded Fringe Theatre of the Year at The Stage Awards, as well as a ONEOFF award at the Offies for our Children’s Puppet Festival – described as having brought 'together the highest standards of work to British audiences and including a number of award-winning companies'. Our West End transfer of 'The Smartest Giant' in Town was also nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Family Show. We are not only committed to supporting our Islington community, but we do so with the highest calibre of theatre too. We are at the forefront of our puppetry field.

Focus Areas

Delivery plan

Budget breakdown

Beneficiaries

461 people

Who will benefit

Expected impact

Children lack equal access to theatre and we know, as supported by research, that performance improves emotional and academic engagement. LAT ensures benefits reach the many rather than the few, and that financial or access barriers do not widen the attainment gap. Instead, we expose all pupils to creative ways of thinking and support their cognitive development. We will: - Offer many younger years their first ever trip to the theatre - Inspire children to use their creativity at school and beyond, facilitating self-efficacy and an improved ability to broach complex and difficult issues/ subjects. - Provide tickets to literary adaptions of books that can be read at school to further learning and academic engagement (performing arts have been proven to boost the performance of the average child by 4%) - Support SEN children through puppetry, introducing them to a communication tool that can be used in the classroom, at home and beyond

Track record

Gregory Gray, SENCo and Deputy Head for KS2 and Inclusion at Winton Primary School, vouches for the program’s success, saying that: "our children fall under the top 5% most disadvantaged pupils in the country, yet, through enriching opportunities and a high quality curriculum, regularly feature in the top 100 schools in the country for attainment..." “Our children come into the school with gaps low literacy skills and their vocabulary is often limited. Many of our children do not have any access to The Arts and visits to the theatre help develop their confidence and cultural experiences.” Sarah Gill Head Teacher, Hugh Myddelton Primary School ‘The arts sector is so squashed at the moment, so the partnership is a really special initiative as creative opportunities are becoming increasingly scarce… Our children are growing up knowing that LAT is a community space where they are welcome.’ Assistant Head Teacher, William Tyndale Primary School

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