Pupils plays staged by actors

As part of the Calderdale Young Shorts scheme, Year 5 and 6 pupils recently learned how to write a play through two workshops at the school run by two young actors from the Beacon Actors Company.

They saw their plays performed on stage by the Beacon Actors Company and Calderdale Theatre Workshop at the Square Chapel, Halifax, in a special matinee performance for schools.

Parents were invited to join the audience for the performance which was followed by a second staging at The Little Theatre in Hebden Bridge.

Scout Road Academy was one of the four schools taking part in the Calderdale Shorts project and its pupils contributed six of the 18 plays chosen to make up the final programme.

The other local schools involved were St Mary’s Catholic Primary School, Hebden Royd CE Primary School and Sacred Heart Catholic Primary.

The initiative was a partnership by Square Chapel, Calderdale Theatre School, Beacon Actors Company and Hebden Bridge Arts Festival, supported with funding from Square Chapel’s Open Door schools programme and the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation.

Scout Road Academy Principal Mrs Anne Stamp explained: “Calderdale Young Shorts has offered a wonderful experience for our pupils in many ways.

“As well as developing their writing skills and creativity, it gave them a rare chance to make the link between the written word and the live action of a play, through the excitement of seeing their own work in performance.

“We hope this experience will stay with them.”