Torbay Arts In Schools Network (TASN) is a collaborative and grassroots effort, comprised of 51 organisations, freelancers, and schools in the Torbay area. Formed in May 2020 as a rapid-response to the Covid crisis, the network now serves as Torbay’s Cultural Education Partnership, providing shared regional advocacy, arts menus, creative resources, and arts outreach in partnership with area schools. The group is action-driven, and meets fortnightly over Zoom to do shared activity planning. The network is currently chaired and coordinated by Erin Walcon, Co-Director, Doorstep Arts.
What is a Local Cultural Education Partnership? Find out more here.
Through TASN, partners have been able to network and fundraise more efficiently, working and partnering up for various projects and initiatives together, with an emphasis on cooperation, collaboration and shared visioning. The network is open-door and new artists, arts orgs or school staff are always welcome to join – just email erin@doorsteparts.co.uk to sign up to the mailing list.
Read the 2020-2023 TASN Impact Report here.
Members:
Anna Boland has been a freelance artist for the past 21 years and has a diverse background in the creative industries; she has undertaken many different roles, artist, educator, facilitator, leader, mentor, collaborator, curator and director. Working on some 80+ socially and public engaged projects, these projects have been wide ranging from community, public, site specific, commission based and self -initiated art projects. She has worked for local authorities, arts organisations, schools, colleges, universities, institutions, museums, galleries, alternative education, pupil referral units, youth offending teams, and commissions with age ranges 5-80+ years. Projects have been both temporary and permanent and have included 2 and 3-dimensional works; site-specific pieces; day events; workshops and festivals.
Artizan Gallery is a small independent community art gallery on the English Riviera dedicated to championing the local visual arts scene. Our venues offer accessible space for arts programming, workshops and other creative activity, through a broad programme that aims to support professional and emerging artists, as well as facilitate community projects such as student shows and family workshops.
Brixham Heritage Museum was founded in 1958.
Our goal is to preserve the history of Brixham, whether that be from prehistoric times, middle ages, WW1/WW2, or the 1960s, it’s our job to retain artifacts from our small town.
We offer a range of schools’ group activities, workshops and tours on a variety of topics that have been significant in the locality and meet the requirements of The National Curriculum for Key Stages 1 and 2.
We bring the curriculum alive by engaging children with the museum’s collections through role play, handling real and replica objects, craft activities, poetry, storytelling, archaeology, guided tours and questionnaires.
Our workshops:
- Brixham – prehistory to modern times, Ice Age animals in Brixham
- the town’s maritime heritage – the fishing industry, including the role played by women, ship building, sail and rope making, the harbour and the fish quay
- exploration and discovery, the building of The Mayflower 2, Tudor explorers
- William of Orange and the Stuart inheritance
- the story of Berry Head Fort in the Napoleonic War
- the Victorian era, through the story of a local girl, Priscilla Shrives, the daughter of Rev Francis Lyte’s coachman who lived in a cottage on Berry Head
- Brixham’s role in the two world wars
curator@brixhamheritage.org.uk
Daisi is a not-for-profit arts education organisation creating and promoting inspiring artistic and cultural experiences which enable more children and young people to access the transformative and inclusive power of the arts. Daisi believes that such experiences should sit at the very heart of young people’s lives and learning; sparking their imaginations, supporting their well-being and self-esteem, and helping them to observe and explore the world around them.
Life in Devon is an adventure and we believe dance is the only way to ride. As a charity for happier and healthier communities, we’re here for each other every hop, skip and step of the way. We’re here for the good times; the knees up, the laughter, the performance of a lifetime. And when life gets the better of you – when physical or mental health aren’t on your side – we’ll move you forward with a dose of dance. We’ll give life new meaning. We’ll bring you joy on the darkest of days. With dance in your life; your voice will be heard, your mind will brighten, your body will discover expression.
Dance in Devon work across Devon and Torbay and with people of all ages and backgrounds who want to move in whatever way they want to move. We regularly work in primary and secondary schools, youth clubs, libraries and theatres in Torbay. We are very proud of our special relationship with Mayfield school where we have been delivering our dance and developmental movement play for 3 years.
Devon & Torbay Music Education Hubs believe all children and young people should have the opportunity to enjoy, achieve and celebrate through music. We work with schools, music educators and a range of local, regional and national partner organisations to provide an inclusive, diverse and relevant music education offer for all children and young people. As part of a network of Music Education Hubs across England, we are supported using public funding from the DfE and Arts Council England, and tasked with delivering the core and extension roles of the National Plan for Music Education and ensuring that all schools engage with the Schools Music Education Plan (SMEP).
https://www.musiceducationhub.org/site/
Doorstep Arts is a non-profit arts education organisation. We create, produce and platform work which nurtures critical awareness and social justice. We run 14 participatory drama groups in community sites and theatres across Torbay. Young people write their own narratives and explore original ideas through drama process, play, and imagination. The groups provide safe spaces to experiment with what it means to be an artist and to explore your own voice. We work collaboratively with area schools and libraries through our Open Doors Outreach programme to ensure that outstanding artists are working in the most vital spaces in our community.
Working from our Exeter city centre base, Double Elephant Print Workshop offers courses, resources and support to professional printmakers, artists and beginners alike.
The aims of Double Elephant Print Workshop are:
- to provide open access to fine art printmaking resources and equipment
- to encourage and support everyone to discover their creativity
- to offer a full range of courses in printmaking including outreach to schools, our community and marginalised groups.
- to provide high quality exhibitions, print sales and an editioning service.
- to maintain a friendly, accessible, environmentally healthy and solvent-free working environment.
https://www.doubleelephant.org.uk/
Drum Devon is a social enterprise with the aim of bringing the world of drums and percussion into the community to boost personal/social wellbeing. We provide top-quality, authentic workshops which are accessible to all!
https://www.facebook.com/devondrumming/
Kents Cavern is one of the most important prehistoric sites in Europe, if not the world. It is the only place that three different human species have occupied throughout time and is home to the oldest modern human fossil found in Britain, a 42,000-year-old jawbone.
Kents Cavern has provided a wealth of geological and archaeological history and the Kents Cavern Foundation shares its heritage with local people and visitors of all ages, cultures and abilities through education and outreach to promote its conservation and protection.
https://www.kents-cavern.co.uk/key-stage-3-and-4
The Torbay local authority has a responsibility to provide education to those young people who are unable to maintain an educational programme due to their medical needs. This is provided by the Torbay Medical Tuition Service (MTS).
The aim at The Medical Tuition Service Torbay is to support students in ways which motivate and inspire them to engage in education, and to help them become confident, successful, and happy adults.
It is the ethos of the service that wherever possible the service will support an eventual return to educational schooling when the student is medically fit to do so.
http://fis.torbay.gov.uk/kb5/torbay/fsd/service.page?id=8e0rXUcPHyM
At Moor to Sea we believe that musical creation is intrinsic to being human and that access to music should be equal. Our aim is to provide opportunities for all lives to be lived musically.
Inclusion is at the forefront of our practice. We are committed to addressing the barriers that prevent people from participating in music.
By co-creating music in this way we can affect Social Change. Connecting through music (whether listening, creating, moving, singing or playing) enhances communication, collaboration, inclusion and wellbeing.
We want to provide the opportunity and support for groups of people to connect in creative, musical, spaces in order to encourage belonging and positivity, and reduce feelings of isolation. With our approach, everyone is responsible for creating, developing and owning this musical space.
https://moortoseamusic.org.uk/
PaddleBoat Theatre Company believe that theatre is a space where imagination is brought to life.
Born from the vibrant city of Exeter, we are committed to delivering high-quality productions and exciting workshops for children and families across the South-West. At the heart of PaddleBoat’s work is the desire to inspire the imagination. PaddleBoat believe in theatre which engages with the young minds of tomorrow – as well as reminding every adult that they too can rediscover their own imaginations. PaddleBoat’s award winning productions always blend creative storytelling. With playful and engaging audience interaction, we invite all audiences into a space where performers and audience members alike embark on journeys, create adventures and get lost in magical worlds together.
https://www.paddleboattheatre.co.uk/
Participate Arts design socially engaged arts projects and workshops around Devon. We facilitate creative expression, explore community and bring people together to articulate their stories, allowing confidence to grow and inspire motivation to make a positive contribution. Our programmes are designed to meet the needs of participants, working creatively with people of all ages. We work with individuals, communities and cultural agencies to develop work that has impact and lasting social legacy. We encourage active participation, nurture art skills and imagination, promoting health and wellbeing in our work. We find ways to make contemporary arts and culture approachable and relevant to participants’ experiences, often working with other Artist specialists. We run workshop programmes, community engagement sessions, and create and manage small and large scaled events, with an emphasis is on connecting people, improving individual lives and community spaces. Socially engaged work is at the heart of what we do.
http://participatearts.org.uk/
At Play Torbay, our aim is simple… We provide fun, accessible play opportunities all year round including playground adventures, play days and special events. Play is the single most important developmental process in any child’s life and a fundamental human right. We raise awareness about the importance of play in children’s lives by actively involving parents and the wider community in the wonderful benefits of play. We are a small charity supporting and encouraging children to play and be active outdoors. We provide adventure, friendship, and fun for hundreds of children each year.
https://www.playtorbay.org.uk/
Our number one goal is to provide our schools with the resources they need to be able to provide their children and staff an outstanding education, a network of support, and a vision to succeed. Riveria Education Trust puts this goal to action through three schools in the Torbay area, Oldway Primary School, Roselands Primary, and Shiphay Learning Academy. As Artsmark schools, our children have the opportunity to achieve Arts Award, learn to play an instrument, sing, DJ, explore visual art and develop their drama and dance skills.
https://www.rivieratrust.co.uk/
We use digital radio and music production to connect, engage and inspire communities in Torbay. We create platforms and opportunities for people to step up and speak out.
- Connect – We bring people together in workshops, at community events, on air, and online to share their music and opinions
- Engage – We know how to reach into communities to engage and consult with people on the margins to create positive change
- Inspire – We use radio and music production to inspire confidence, raise aspirations, develop creativity and increase skills
One flagship project is Ocean Youth – a youth-led online radio station which brings young people across Torbay together to make music and radio, build friendships and develop a creative and engaging social action community. Ocean Youth supports Torbay’s young people through helping them to share experiences through broadcasting content on topics such as anxiety, sexual abuse, bullying, addiction, and stress. Ocean Youth’s studio is based at Winner Street, with a second studio in Paignton Library, however its outreach programme, Radio Routes, travels to youth clubs across Torbay. From autumn 2020 our radio bus will travel throughout Torbay to meet young people and broadcast from anywhere in Torbay.
Young people, families and schools interested should contact us at:
Taleblazers is a Community Interest Company that celebrates the folk stories of South Devon and Dartmoor. We do this by researching old folk tales from our region, rewriting them into original works and performing them as ballads or folk poems. Oral storytelling is an art we are passionate about preserving and we aim to engage young people in particular by involving them in writing and performance. We offer workshops in a variety of educational areas (heritage, natural history, ecology) to schools and historic sites and our workshops are tailored to locations to make them as relevant as possible to the groups we work with. As part of the research and writing process, we get involved with local heritage projects and promote the heritage and folklore of the areas we work in.
The SPARK is a creative studio space for all ages in Metherell Avenue, Brixham. It is home to Project Performers youth theatre and dance classes. The studio is available to hire for birthday parties and other events/daytime classes.
https://www.facebook.com/sparkbrixham/
The Museum at the heart of Torbay English Riviera Global Geopark, telling the fascinating story of Torquay and its history.
Our origins as a Natural History Museum are more relevant than ever. We sit within the world’s first International Urban Geopark, endorsed by UNESCO in recognition of its rich geological, historical and cultural heritage. We live at a time when climate change and environmental responsibility is more pressing than ever. With our expertise in Geology and the Natural Sciences, we are well placed to promote scientific knowledge and environmental sustainability, and to lead by example. Establishing ourselves as a ‘Geohub’, we want to become a centre of learning for children and adults, experts and non-experts alike. We want to become a place where younger generations can embrace learning and experimentation, and discover science as relevant, exciting and fun.
Torquay Museum’s aim is to safeguard, collect and preserve those objects relating to Torbay’s cultural and historic heritage and to present them in an accessible and relevant form as a source of inspiration, enjoyment and learning for everyone. Torquay Museum aims enhance the lives of people and lead to a greater understanding of past human cultures and natural environments.
http://www.torquaymuseum.org/homepage
Torre Abbey has witnessed an extraordinary variety of events since it was founded in 1196, meaning there is a wealth of stories to inspire and ignite a world of learning through every subject, including history, geology, the arts and natural sciences. Above all, Torre Abbey is a safe and welcoming community space that allows people of all ages to discover and explore their identity and creativity. Our gardens are a beautiful and calm oasis in between the lawns and ruins, a place where science, art, history and nature come together to educate, excite and help us to connect with ourselves, each other & our environment. We are committed to providing inclusive and dynamic access to our arts and cultural collections, events and activities. All of our workshops have an artistic and hands-on approach to help learners gain a better understanding of art, history, culture and the world around them, and we are happy to work with you to develop learning packages that are suitable for your group’s interests and abilities.
We Need Music’s aim is to create accessible music-making and interactive listening opportunities aimed at connecting people; enabling creativity and expression; and building self and esteem and confidence. Our vision is for connected communities where people feel free to express and explore their innate creativity.