Developing emotional literacy & oracy
through music & dance
The pandemic has heavily impacted the emotional wellbeing of children and young people, with studies showing increased levels of anxiety and a decrease in confidence, self-esteem and concentration. Big Feelings is a 6 week artist-led programme for KS1 and KS2. Through participation in creative arts activities, the key aims of the project are:
- to improve children’s capacity to recognise and express their feelings and emotions
- to increase levels of confidence and self esteem
- to develop effective social and communication skills
“I’m usually really shy but when I went it built up my confidence. It’s helped me join in more.”
Year 5 participant
“I find it really fun, we learn lots of music and songs and I have been really kind to my friends. I have learnt new things about music I didn’t know before.”
Year 3 participant
Our Big Feelings package includes:
- 6 weekly workshops with KS1/2 children & their teachers
- A resource pack including lesson plans, video & audio to support continued learning
- A performance activity and/or keepsake film
- A CPD session for the wider school community
This project was developed as part of an Ipswich-based network of events supported by Ipswich Creative & Educational Partnership’s #Hullabaloo22 initiative. The purpose of Hullabaloo22 was to give young people and children the chance to express themselves, develop skills and have a voice through a series of vibrant, creative and inclusive cultural-education experiences.
Read about the impact the project had at Springfield Primary School, Ipswich in this case study.
“This was a great partnership which has been really successful. Cohere Arts discussed the needs of the children and then planned a sequence of sessions that were flexible enough to allow the children to lead the sessions through their own wants and needs. Working with their artists has allowed staff to gain new skills to transfer and weave into our transition activities and Cohere Arts have produced sets of resources for us to use in the future.”
Springfield Infants School