Who we work with - Theatre by the Lake, Keswick, Cumbria

Who we work with

Find out how we engage with education, with community groups, with members of the public and with aspiring, emerging and established artists.

Education
Much of our work supports formal education. We do not deliver projects 'off the shelf'. Within the central concept of Storytree we create projects and training to suit your needs and interests. We have extensive experience of working within early years, primary, secondary, further and higher education. We develop work that spans across multiple groups (educational and community) as well as work with individuals and single groups. Some sessions last an hour, some last years. Within projects we frequently collaborate with a diverse range of community artists from the West Cumbria Arts Partnership and beyond.

'We have witnessed the extraordinary benefits that drama and music can bring to those often sidelined in conventional formal learning.'
Michelle Kelly, The Beacon, Whitehaven

We offer:
Communication skills development
Our work aims to inspire participants to enjoy learning through structured play. All of our work encourages the development of speaking, listening, inquisitiveness, play, vocabulary, articulation of ideas and feelings, self expression, imagination, fantasy, sound, movement and improvisation. We actively seek contact with education professionals during projects in order to align planning and encourage pre-session and follow up activities.

Specialist theatre skills development
We specialise in developing acting, devising, outdoor theatre, community theatre and story making skills. Through collaboration with Theatre by the Lake’s Education department and local arts partners we can offer additional performing arts skills development opportunities i.e. music, dance, directing, new writing, design, project management and technical skills.

Professional and curriculum development
We offer teacher and curriculum creative development support
including support for primary teachers delivering the revised
Literacy Framework and secondary teachers delivering the new
creative National Diploma courses. We offer one to one and group
training experiences. Training can take place during or outside
of lessons.

Community Groups
We create work that is responsive to the communities we live and work in. We specialise in intergenerational work, work with families and work with young people. Whilst Storytree is designed to be accessible to all ages and abilities, the team also works with age or ability specific groups. The scale of our work and duration of project varies depending on demand, opportunity and need.

We specialise in bringing individuals and groups together through shared stories. Our work creates opportunities for people to meet face to face, to learn about themselves and others and to develop the confidence and skills to interact.

Our community work can take place indoors and outdoors, at festivals
and events, and with established and new groups of people.

We regularly collaborate with other artists within Cumbria on community
projects. Collaboration enables us to include musicians, dancers, designers, puppeteers
and street performers within our work.

Artists
We recognise the benefits of sharing knowledge, skills and ideas through collaboration with emerging and existing artists. We welcome opportunities for Storytree staff to be involved in the work of other artists and arts organisations. We are also committed to expanding the number of skilled, experienced and professional arts practitioners active in West Cumbria by offering training programmes and progression routes for students who are committed to supporting this aim.

Work experience
We can offer you the opportunity to work alongside our Theatre Practitioners. You will gain experience of delivering creative projects within a community or educational setting. The full range of opportunities available during your visit will depend on what projects we are working on when you visit. The more flexible you are with your dates the more likely we can offer you a variety of experiences.
We can also offer arts administration and arts management experience. Working alongside our Producers you can gain experience of how creative projects are planned and managed from the idea to the delivery.

For more information about work experience with Storytree please contact us.
Theatre by the Lake also offers work experience opportunities. For more information contact Mike Eccles, Education Officer

Apprentices
We offer opportunities for young people aged 11-25 years to gain extensive ‘on the job’ experience of delivering theatre work within a community or educational context. Apprenticeships offered vary in duration from 30 days to 15 months. Apprenticeships can be full or part time. If you are interested in finding out more please contact us. Apprentices will be selected on the merits of enthusiasm, commitment and potential.

Voluntary work
We welcome approaches from people interested in volunteering in the local creative sector. We will do our best to help you find a fulfilling role either within our work, or within the work of local arts partners. If you are interested in finding out more please contact us.

Paid employment
We are committed to expanding the number of skilled, experienced and professional arts practitioners active in West Cumbria and expanding opportunities for people to participate in arts activity locally. We are actively seeking to increase the pool of professional community artists able to collaborate with us in West Cumbria. If you are a professional community artist/ or community arts organisation and would like to discuss the potential to collaborate please contact us.

Public
Most of our work is with educational establishments, and/or community groups who have their own membership. We plan to increase opportunities for individual members of the public to participate in our work in 2010.

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