Collaborating and co-producing with Space2 and Allerton CE Primary

Courtesy of Allerton CE Primary School

Space2 and Allerton CE Primary have worked together for 14 years to co-produce annual whole-school, multi-media arts projects for Allerton CE’s pupils on themes that celebrate diversity, promote wellbeing and support children to find their voices.

Collaborating and co-producing

This relationship has seen the success of Allerton CE Primary receiving a Platinum Artsmark award in 2022, a testament to their dedication to embedding creativity across their entire curriculum.

Dawn Fuller from Space2 said: “It’s one of our flagship projects every year and we love working with the staff, pupils and students. It’s exciting and inspiring to work with a school that puts arts and creativity at the heart of their ethos, vision and practice.

Our approach is one of co-production and the children are central to the development of the project and what it produces each year. They are always engaged, imaginative, full of ideas and create amazing cross-artform, multimedia work. And, of course, our relationship with staff, especially members of senior leadership team have developed immensely over the years enabling us to be part of the school’s extensive offer, both during and beyond the curriculum.”

Building a lasting partnership to drive innovation

For both Allerton CE Primary and Space2, having a long-lasting partnership has helped them achieve their ambitious goals, and has helped them deliver exceptional work.

“The openness, generosity and honesty of the partnership means we can acknowledge and overcome challenges and celebrate the successes together. Every year the vision gets more exciting, building on previous years, inspired by the school’s commitment and recognition of the arts as a transformational resource and the pupils enthusiastic, talented input.” – Dawn Fuller, Space2

“Our enduring partnership with Arts organisation Space 2, through its contracted role as ‘Arts Champion’ has really enabled us to spearhead innovation. Together we have planned and delivered some exceptional work and changed the lives of our children. They have learned the value of owning their own voice, enjoying using their own imagination and expressing their feelings and emotions through the Arts. They’ve learned the discipline of and the synergy of teamwork, of receiving praise and offering positive critique. They have really taken on board that their ideas about the world are unique and different, but each one is valued and appreciated.” – Joy Johnston, Deputy Head at Allerton CE Primary School

Co-producing solutions to climate change

Recently, Allerton CE Primary and Space2 have joined together on a new venture and have been successful in receiving a Seed Commission from Leeds 2023 to deliver a new climate-focused creative project entitled ‘Winds of Change’.

This innovative project, in collaboration with Leeds Beckett University School of Design, who regularly partner with Space2 and Allerton CE Primary; Reaction Bike Power and Balbir Singh Dance Company, is a response to the climate crisis with pupils and families from Allerton CE Primary. They plan to commission a sculpture which will be a place-marker for a renewable energy source and an educational resource to prompt discussion around climate justice.

The following phase of the project will look at renewable energy sources for the school. The project also hopes to integrate a cultural programme that will generate collective action in the community.

This ambitious collaborative project will help pupils make sense of the climate crisis and take a lead in responding and finding solutions. It will also provide a long-term education resource, which focuses on sustainability and the local community, with hopes of creating a legacy of community-led power alternatives.