We are artists

“I never realised I could make someone smile.”

All the participating children had been asked to carry out an evaluation in the days following the final performance of the opera. Written as part of our whole school ‘working as artists’ project, the year 5 team (48 children and 4 members of staff) worked with musicians and a lyricist from Sistema Norwich to write, stage and perform an original opera as part of Circus 250. The opera told the story of a madcap circus company trying (and almost succeeding) in staging a new show. It promised to be a hoot!

The children had been working with their project partners for weeks, drafting out archetypal character profiles and establishing motivations, developing a narrative using the phases of dramatic storytelling, and then working with the lyricist to weave their narrative ideas into lyrics before setting them to music. A small group of children worked with a visual artist to design and make props, set pieces and costumes, while others designed the promotional material and tickets. On the night, those children not directly involved in the performance itself collected tickets, ushered the audience to their seats, operated the lighting and sound rig, filmed the performance and prepared and served refreshments at the interval. A team effort indeed.

Evaluation was now established as a vital part of the post-showcase phase of our bold, real-world curriculum, but this one was going to deliver a stunning personal reflection that altered me forever. When asked to reflect on his experience of performing for the first time in front of an audience, one boy chose these 8 words:

“I never realised I could make someone smile.”

A statement as beautiful as it was devastating.

I mean firstly, why the hell not?

And secondly, school gave him that; we gave him that.

This was the power of our project-based learning.

I carried a copy of the evaluation in my jacket pocket for months, but the truth was I really didn’t need to: sharing those words as many times as I did etched them deeply.

“I never realised I could make someone smile.”

As beautiful as it is devastating.