Cubitt Education presents: Festival of Blackboards 2014


Cubitt Education presents 
A SERIES OF FREE EVENTS EXPLORING THE POWER OF THE ARTS


5th-12th July 2014

Cubitt Education's Festival of Blackboards is a regular programme of free public events in Islington exploring the arts, education and social change.  The theme of the Festival of Blackboards 2014 is power: the power of the arts in our schools, our public spaces and communities, and in our minds and bodies.  Working in partnership with Islington Council, Sadler's Wells, Wayne McGregor | Random Dance and a range of other partners, we have put together three unique and inspiring events.

Highlights include a newly commissioned dance piece from Wayne McGregor | Random Dance working with local people for the Arts Picnic on Spa Fields; a Masterclass for teachers, artists, parents and governors, in building and advocating for a quality arts offer in school; and a talk from the RSA on their Design and Rehabilitation project at a mini conference exploring power and the body.

Events Diary:

- Public Movement: Saturday 5th July. 2.00-5.00pm
St. Luke's Community Centre. 90 Central Street EC1V 8AJ
A mini conference exploring relationships between the body, creativity and power: 
- Wayne McGregor | Random Dance will present a session on their research over the past ten years investigating creativity in dance: working with scientists to explore how the mind and body interact, and developing methods to empowering individuals to create their own choreography.
- The RSA will present findings from their groundbreaking Design and Rehabilitation project, in which patients with spinal injuries were taught design, as a route to independence, resourcefulness and greater control over their lives.
- The Justice for Domestic Workers, an organisation set up by migrant workers who work in private houses in the UK, will discuss how their collaborations with artists and arts organisations have helped develop their campaigning and advocacy work around labour and workers rights.

Arts in Schools Masterclass: Wednesday 9th July. 5-7pm
Highbury Grove School. 8 Highbury Grove N5 2EQ
A masterclass for classroom teachers, senior leadership teams, parents, governors and anyone working in or around schools.  The masterclass will help you develop practical approaches to advocating for the arts and building a strong arts offer in your school.  Led by Greg Klerkx, lead trainer with A New Direction and Creativity, Culture & Education.

The Arts Picnic: Saturday 12th July. 12-4pm
Spa Fields, Skinner Street, Islington EC1
An afternoon of contemporary dance with Wayne McGregor | Random Dance and creative activism with Cubitt Artists on Spa Fields in EC1.  The event will include: arts and crafts stalls; artists' workshops; a Drawing Boot Camp; political pass-the-parcel; a Suffragette's Garden Party; free picnic blankets to customise; face-painting; parkour; picknicking and much more.  Families, children, artists, dancers, grandparents and activists welcome