Projects & Workshops for Alternative Education/SEN/SEMH & Higher Education Settings

A group of young people jumping and smiling on stage

At the Corn Exchange Newbury we are enthusiastic in building partnerships with our local alternative provision and education settings to provide creative learning opportunities both within and outside the curriculum. We offer a variety of opportunities to inspire your students and support you as teachers.

Our Schools Engagement programme includes:

Curriculum linked courses and workshops
Wellbeing focused courses and workshops
Backstage Tours
Work Experience
Teacher Network CPD sessions

Wellbeing Warriors

Supporting young people’s mental health and wellbeing

A six-part course for children and young people motivating them to take responsibility for their own physical, mental and emotional, social, educational and holistic wellbeing. The course can be tailored to both the Primary Curriculum and as a KS3 course for young people. Sessions focus on creative, interactive arts activities based around the nationally-recognised 5 ways to wellbeing, in order to create meaningful, positive change in young people’s daily lives.

This course could also be designed as a series of podcasts or a 3 day intensive course for those aged 15 – 18, delivered at the Corn Exchange for a small cohort by referral.

Developing Life Skills - Secondary

Developing Life Skills is a one-day drama-based course tailored to ages 15 – 18 (years 10 – 13) to help equip young people with the interactions skills useful for the workplace. It has been designed to support the development of young people by increasing their confidence, encouraging positive thinking and helping to raise their aspirations. Students are often selected by the schools involved to provide the opportunity for those who they know will most benefit from support with social interaction, self confidence and communication. Content addresses teamwork, ‘How do I fit in?’, voice impact, positive thinking and presenting skills through drama games and reflective practice. Sessions are led by professional drama practitioners.

These sessions may also be developed to be led as an out of school session at the Corn Exchange or as a series of online sessions.

Transforming Transition

Mental health and creative arts support for Year 5/6 pupils.

The Corn Exchange has a well-established reputation in West Berkshire for delivering high quality arts provision and for using the arts as a tool for children and young people’s artistic and cultural development.

This one-off hour-long workshop has been created because we understand that transitioning to Secondary school is an exciting and important milestone in a child’s life but that it can also be a time of intense emotion, fear and mental ill-health. This session provides a variety of tools to help with resilience, stress and anxiety though a period of change.

Words Together

A creative writing project culminating in original poetry based on a chosen theme. This has been an intergenerational project in the past, collaborating with local care settings and creating partnerships with local schools, Primary and Secondary. The project run usually as a course of 4 x creative sessions culminating in a rehearsal and performance/ sharing session of the groups’ works.

Roald Dahl Literacy Project

A six-week literacy and drama project (6 x 2 hours) exploring Roald Dahl’s classic texts and rehearsing an adaptation of one of the stories. The project culminates in each school involved joining other local schools for a performance on the Corn Exchange main stage! The project takes place annually in the summer term.

If you are interested in finding out more about one of our courses or have any questions, please get in touch with us at getinvolved@cornexchangenew.co.uk or phone the box office on 01635 522733

Learning & Participation Volunteers

Help out with some of our regular performing and visual arts-based groups, projects and events.

Outdoor Events Programme Volunteers

Ever fancied operating a giant insect through the streets of Newbury or being part of a tale of hope and redemption that involves dynamic promenade action, stilts, aerial performance, soaring music, fire and pyro techniques…? Then this could be the opportunity for you!