Working in partnership with Teesside Chemical Initiative (TCI) Science Education Unit we have delivered exciting and innovative pilot projects during the last academic year. The projects involved a dramatist, an animator and a poet working in Tees Valley schools for one term. Feedback from both the school staff and pupils and from the artists demonstrates that the projects were successful and rewarding for all involved. A teaching manual for science departments to use drama within their development plans is about to be published; the four animation cd’s which will be used as a teaching resource will be disseminated nationally, and the cd and book of poetry created at Carmel College Darlington will be launched in the summer term with a radio broadcast.
The next stage of the project will place an artist in a special school for one term to involve, interest and engage pupils in science activities and to extend teacher’s teaching and learning strategies. The artist will work alongside the teachers to teach science issues creatively, to raise pupils’ awareness and to make science more relevant for them.
Dramatist Bidi Iredale has successfully completed work with PGCE students from Durham University. Following this, funding is being sought to deliver a project built into the PGCE course at Durham University. Sunderland University and Stockton Riverside Campus of Durham University have also expressed an interest in hosting this project.