Arts News, Events & Information

Year 9 G&T Master Class

Tuesday, 20 March 2012 13:16

Year 9 G&T students developed skills in ICT, creative media, story-boarding and film-making during a G&T Master Class in animation with tutor David Lloyd.  Based on the theme of the Olympic Games, the students created their own animated short films which will be shown during National Sports Week in the summer term.

Student evaluations show that students valued their master class as a. ‘quality learning experience’, which required thought, effort and precision.

Extract from student evaluations;

Which part of the course have you found most challenging and why?

• The actual filming as so much could go wrong.
• Filming because it is time consuming.
• Moving the clay was the hardest because you need to get it in the right position if you want it to be perfect.
• Creating the characters was very intricate.
• Doing the voices – it kept freezing.
• The ideas leading to the animation because there are so many to choose.
• Green screen because you have to be really careful.
• Taking the photos because the camera and the models were moving.
• Filming as it took a long time and needed patience.
• The animation as it took so much time.
• Having to make very slow precise movements so that the animation ran smoothly – it took time and patience.

What new skills did you learn during the class?

• Patience – it takes time to edit.  Building clay models. Taking lots of pictures to make silent films.  That the effort is rewarding.
• Camera Angles – I had never used a mac before which was fun
• How to use stop/motion = 4
• Photography skills
• Art and design
• Plasticine modelling
• Green screen = 3
• Make things with details and quality
• To take time to make it a fluent and smooth animation

Sixth Form PARADE is a stunning success

Friday, 16 March 2012 13:38

Sprowston Sixth formers celebrated Norfolk’s links with the U.S. with their production of ‘PARADE’ at Sewell Barn Theatre.

Students from Sprowston High School created a unique piece of theatre that celebrated Norfolk’s historical links with the United States of America. This production was the first event in a countywide project that will be celebrating “Norfolk’s American Connections” during 2012.

Using dance song and drama, the young actors explored many different historical eras, including the great influx of American GIs in the Second World War, and the disastrous floods of 1953 which resulted in many GIs still stationed in Norfolk coming to the rescue of those on the North Norfolk coast. Pocahontas, Abraham Lincoln, Jem Mace and the film star Madeleine Carroll were among the names of the many other characters that they wrote into this devised show.

Audiences praised the talent and originality of the production including grandparents Terry and Dianne Rose:

'My wife and I went to see our granddaughters perform Parade at the Sewell Barn Theatre on Friday night. They attend the Heather Millan School of Dance and were the reason for going to the performance - what a fantastic evening it turned out to be with the Kett Sixth Form supplying a very professional acting, singing and humorous show. Please pass on our congratulations to them all for their excellent entertainment.'

The research and information which the students used to create the show was provided by the Norfolk’s American Connections project team. Theatre director, Anna Lawrence, said ‘I was looking for a local historical stimulus for the sixth form students to create a piece of theatre from, and I read about the Norfolk’s American Connections project in the E.D.P., so I got in touch with Libby Morgan at the 2nd Air Division Memorial Library. The project has been a great source of information and ideas and we hope that the performances will give a slice of just how many historical links there are between Norfolk and America.

The Voice Choir perform at the 2012 National ‘Sing Up' Celebration

Wednesday, 14 March 2012 11:32

Sprowston High’s student led Voice Choir was one of 10 schools that performed at the Sprowston Cluster Sing Up 2012 at St. Andrews Hall in Norwich to celebrate nationally the enjoyment of people singing together.  Each school performed their own song and the Voice Choir sang ‘Ain’t No Mountain high Enough’, beautifully, to a packed audience of parents, friends and family members.  All the singers on stage and the audience joined in on the last song of the Sing Up, with a stirring rendition of ‘Believe’.

Student Ukulele Club

Monday, 20 February 2012 12:17

Students enjoy learning to play the Ukulele, in a new lunch time club led by Liam Capper-Starr and supported by Year 10 student leader, Billie Bell.  The club runs every Friday lunchtimes from 12.30 to 1.20 in E106 (music room).  When asked why students should give it a go Billie said; 'because its fun, sociable and not too difficult to learn'.  Everyone is welcome to come along and you don't have to have a ukulele to join, we have some to share.  For more information please see Billie Bell.

Students give a Magical Performance

Tuesday, 13 December 2011 13:44

Students worked really hard throughout the Autumn term to deliver a superb and magical performance of 'Midsummer's Nights Dream' which ran for three nights in December.  The dedicated cast totally immersed themselves in portraying the characters who meet in an enchanted forests inhabited by fairies and spirits.  The play received much praise from delighted audience:

"Fantastic to see so many young people taking part, we really enjoyed it"
''It was a wonderful and professional performance by all concerned'

and from students;

"It was a great show with a great cast, really worth all the time we spent rehearsing" -  (Oberon, King of the Spirits)
"It took ages to learn the lines but it was worth it" (Fairy)

Many thanks to Debbie Money the Director of the play and all the support staff who helped make this happen.

Download a copy of the Midsummer Night's Dream Programme (pdf, 1.8Mb)

Margeret Quigley
Assistant Headteacher

Ballet Rambert 2011 Tour

Friday, 04 November 2011 00:00

Students will have the opportunity to see Ballet Rambert perform the multi-award nominated, ‘A Lihna Curva’, by Itzik Galili on Thursday 10 November at Norwich Theatre Royal.  Prior to this they will be a county wide, Dance Teachers INSET, with the Ballet Rambert Company, in the school’s Dance Studio on Tuesday 8 November at 4.30 - 6.30pm.

Year 7 Art Displayed at the Cathedral

Wednesday, 19 October 2011 00:00

Year 7 students in the cathedral grounds surrounded
by the flock

On Wednesday 12 October the entire Year 7 year group took part in a joint day of  Art and PD (Personal Development) with the theme of 'Leaders and Followers.'  Students worked in their form groups to produce a wide range of artwork promoting the idea that while students are all part of the same year group, they are each individuals with different characteristics.  Students worked with PD staff to produce giant posters and with Creative Arts staff to paint portraits onto 99 giant sheep to represent the 'flock' they are part of at Sprowston Community High.  The project is linked with the Norwich Cathedral artist in residence Cannon Jim Whitlock.  The sheep were displayed in the cathedral grounds over the Harvest festival weekend 15/16 October.

Thank you to all those that were involved.

View related article on the Norwich Evening News website

Communities, Partnerships and Culture

Tuesday, 18 October 2011 12:47

Sprowston students pictured outside Seven Kings
High School in Ilford

Sprowston students meet students from Seven Kings High School

On Wednesday 12 October, 14 students from across the year groups went on a cultural exchange visit to Seven Kings High School in Ilford. The purpose of the visit was to provide new opportunities for our students to meet, share ideas and build relationships with students from different schools to broaden perspectives and experiences of different communities in the UK.

During the day students took part in ‘selling your school’, a ‘speed dating’ styled activity with Seven Kings students, designed to quickly share experiences from each school. They also watched a student presentation on Guatemala which two of the Seven Kings students had recently visited and then took part in a question and answer session. This was followed by student observations of lessons and a tour of the school.  At the end of the day students from both schools fed back what they had learned from each other and Sprowston students completed ‘promise’ cards, postcards where each student wrote down what they were going to take away with them from their visit.

It was an excellent, ‘exchange’, experience that all of the students both enjoyed and felt they had learned a lot from.  Our students are very keen to share their experiences and to host a return visit by the Seven Kings students to Sprowston. We look forward to extending and continuing this exciting and rich partnership between the two schools.

What students thought about their visit:

Question: Do you think the visit was successful in its aim to widening your understanding of high achieving, multi-ethnic school communities in the UK?

100% yes

‘I widened my understanding by a different perspective’

‘A very educational experience’

‘Great to talk to their sixth form and see how they felt and fit into society’

‘There was a lot to learn about multi- ethnic schools’

‘Yes it brings communities closer’

‘We might get ideas to make our school better’

Question: What similarities are there between Sprowston High and Seven Kings?

‘Both community and both passionate about having their pupils to participate and get involved’

‘Student voice is important within the school’

‘Good teachers and nice students’

‘Both high schools with a friendly atmosphere’

‘Both strict on uniform’

Question: What differences are there?

‘Seven Kings is smaller, they have student observers to provide feedback for teachers to improve their lessons’

‘Large make up of ethnic minorities and they have student observers’

‘Uniform, cultures, the actual school’

‘Different school finish time’

‘We do German, Spanish and French they do Spanish French and Mandarin’

Question: Which activity impressed you the most in terms of building new relationships and sharing ideas?

‘Every activity was good at building new friendships and sharing ideas’

‘Lesson observing’

‘The promise postcards were a good suggestion on sharing ideas’

‘Speed dating because we got to meet many people in a short time’

‘Lunch’

'Speed dating was fun in getting to talk to strangers’

‘The tour around the school because we got to meet people and ask a lot of questions and they were very friendly’

RedCape Theatre Group @ the Playhouse

Tuesday, 27 September 2011 11:34

We are delighted to be able to offer an exciting and highly relevant opportunity for Advanced Performance Arts and Drama students to work with a professional, award winning company, RedCape Theatre, who are on tour with their new play '1 Beach Road' this Autumn at venues across the UK.

This is an opportunity for the students, to experience the work of one of Britain’s innovative theatre companies, which focus on issues around equality and inclusion, and which we hope will be an enjoyable experience.

Ballet Rambert at the Theatre Royal 10 November 2011

Tuesday, 27 September 2011 11:31

We are pleased to be able to offer our GCSE Dance students the opportunity to see the acclaimed Ballet Rambert Dance Company at the Theatre Royal, Norwich on Thursday 10 November 2011.

This tour celebrates 85 years at the heart of British dance for Ballet Rambert with a world premiere of a magical new work “Seven for a secret never to be told” inspired by the music of Ravel.  The programme also features the hypnotic 1960’s work “Rainforest” plus the samba inspired “A Linha Curva”.  All three works feature music played live by the Rambert Orchestra adding a thrilling extra dimension.