UCAN Productions: Activities and Updates for April 2024

/

Hello everyone,

Hope you’ve had a lovely start to the Easter holidays!

March has been fairly busy as usual for us here at UCAN, from our regular workshop program to organising and running extra activities. We also have a major Save the Date announcement for the festival this year. You’ll find the info below in the Updates section.

We’ve also completed our pilot project within Cardiff - UCAN Arts Award. The group were amazing and we felt privileged to witness their growth in confidence over the weeks working with them.

This month we are continuing our workshop program as usual. Along with this we will be running more creative workshops for the second half of the Easter Holidays. You can find information on this below in the Updates section.

As always a big thank you to everyone who supports UCAN and the work we do. Also a big thank you to our funders!

All the best

UCAN Productions

Read More

UCAN'S ARTS AWARDS PILOT PROJECT IS COMPLETE!

/

UCAN have completed the final day of our confidence-building Arts Award activity course for VI pupils in Cardiff.

We had a wonderful time meeting the young people, and they all did so well taking part in imaginative physical drama games, creating a 7 minute sound story as a group, generally getting stuck in and being very creative - and most importantly, becoming more confident and making friends. Participants have earned themselves an 'Explore' level Arts Award, to be presented by the Lord Mayor of Cardiff in May!

Delivered in partnership with the Cardiff Vision Impairment Team

Learners are roaming around the space, smiling and playing a drama game with Hannah

The camera looks down on a circle of learners (and Hannah) who are lying face down on the floor and forming a circle with their hands as part of a focus game

2 learners are sat facing each other and recording an interview on microphones, while another learner looks on smiling

learners are sat in front of the sound technology station, using microphones and sound effect equipment

2 learners are sat chatting with Allie, who is working with UCAN

A group of learners are sat in a small circle passing a ticking toy bomb around as part of a word game. One is sat apart - she's out!

Learners are standing, sitting or kneeling, facing Hannah, as part of a game - some have their hands up

A learner is playing with the Maschine music device and smiling at the camera while others play a drama game behind her

UCAN’s Arts Award Pilot Project continues

/

Back at Ysgol Gynradd Groes-wen this week with our wonderful Arts Award group of creative learners, working on sound stories, physical games and confidence building. Time flies when you're having fun (and learning at the same time)...

learners are smiling and playing drama games with UCAN trainers, with teachers and 1-to-1's laughing and smiling in the background

More circle game action

pupils are sat smiling and listening as Alex tells them about sound technology

A learner is triggering musical sounds on the 'Maschine' music production hardware

UCAN's School Arts Awards Pilot Project at Ysgol Gynradd Groes-wen

/

Creative Learning for Vision Impaired pupils

UCAN are currently engaged in a 6-session pilot project, delivering creative learning activities to a group of VI pupils from Cardiff schools. Each week we are going into the amazing new-build school of Ysgol Gynradd Groes-wen, to develop confidence and provide rich creative learning activities, while enabling the participants to acquire an accredited Explore level Arts Award, moderated by Trinity College London.

We’ve done loads already! Lots of collaborative drama games and exercises which encourage collaboration and imagination, followed by our trademark workshops based around stimulating imaginative engagement with music and sound technology. The pupils have been experiencing the amazing creative potential of voice recording and sound manipulation, as well as working collaboratively and expressively in creating their own ‘Sound Story’ - which is currently shaping up to be a spooky but funny ghost story!

Feedback so far has been tremendous, with observers and 1-to-1’s noticing significant and rapid improvements in confidence, engagement and collaboration, in EVERY participant.

"I can't believe the change. I've seen her open up in a way I've never seen before. I'm going back and signing her up for drama club - she loves it!"

"When F came to us, we thought he was going to be permanently non-verbal. To see him collaborating, sharing his ideas and even recording and performing for others today is incredible. He's so lucky to have this opportunity to show what he can really do."

There’s a lot more to come in the remaining sessions, and we’re excited to continue this work with the participants, and prove the amazing power and potential of creative learning - plus, we’re having great fun too!

Please enjoy some images from the sessions.

A pupil is sat, smiling and holding a microphone, ready to record

VI pupils are in various poses lying, crawling or standing - some are laughing

Pupils are sat in chairs in a circle with Alex from UCAN - everyone is laughing AND SMILING

ONE pupil watches another pupil as she plays a musical keyboard on an iPad app