The Stronger Together Festival took place in the grounds of Queensbridge School on Thursday 4th July. The festival involved pupils, teachers and families from Queensbridge School as well as pupils and families from King Edwards VI Camphill School for Boys, Kings Norton Girls School and Wheeler’s Lane Technology College. Over 270 young people and teachers performed at and attended the early afternoon festival from 13.00 to 15.00 and an additional 310 young people, families and teachers attended the late afternoon festival from 16.15 to 19.00.
Each of the schools worked with cultural organisations on the festival theme Stronger Together which celebrated personal and community identity to create projects which were shared at the festival..
- Pupils from Queensbridge School took part in dance and drumming workshops with artists from Sampad South Asian Arts
- Wheelers Lane Technology College and the theatre company Stan’s Café created Sammy Small Pulls A Bus, a theatre/performance art about forces and friction which culminated in a double decker bus being pulled across our school playing field by a group of 25 pupils.
- King Edwards VI Camphill School for Boys will worked with Mohammed Ali of Soul City Arts, a street-artist that uses his art to empower communities to create Stronger Together banners which were unveiled at the festival.
- Kings Norton Girls School worked with musician Keith Farr to create The Birmingham Cantata, a musical piece telling the story and spirit that makes Birmingham the unique city it is today. It featured a number of modern catchy songs which were performed at the festival.
Additionally, pupils from Fairfax School and Kings Heath Boys School also performed at the festival.
A free CPD event for teachers from across the WMCA on working with local communities to produce festivals and events took place at Queensbridge School on 13th June. 6 teachers and headteachers actively engaged in discussions on organising festivals and events for, by and with their local communities.
The project with our school has been fantastic! When arts have been marginalised in schools it has really given the students the students a sharp focus on the cultural benefits that the study of arts brings.
Scott Wheeldon, Headteacher, Wheelers Lane Technology College
“This exciting collaboration between Sampad and Queensbridge School has enabled us to forge a new partnership with a school that has a strong reputation in arts education. Our dancers and musicians have really enjoyed sharing their skills with QB students who have enthusiastically engaged with an art form that was new to them. It’s a clear demonstration of how the arts can make us all Stronger Together”
Gillian Twaite, Sampad’s Learning and Community Engagement Manager
The Stronger Together Festival was well received by pupils, teachers and parents. It successfully increased partnership working between Queensbridge School and King Edwards VI Camphill School for Boys, Kings Norton Girls School and Wheeler’s Lane Technology College and was widely regarded as having contributed to Increased community cohesion. The project made a big difference to the lives and wellbeing of young people, teachers and families and demonstrated that the diverse communities of South Birmingham are Stronger Together.
Harpinder Singh, headteacher of Queensbridge School, has confirmed that he wants to make the Stronger Together Festival an annual event and a regular feature of the Queensbridge School calendar.
Furthermore, the festival has been instrumental in forging partnerships between the four schools and the arts organisations they worked with which are highly likely to be sustained.
