Family Learning Taster Workshops

Family learning workshops

As part of the Learning Revolution Festival, Stratford Circus held free family learning taster workshops over the last two weekends in October 2009. These workshops enabled local families to learn new artistic skills and as one parent who participated in the 3D Art workshop stated, they gave families a “great chance to be creative together”.  Many of the parents enrolled their children in our Creative Club activities after participating in the free workshops.  

The Circus Skills workshop for parents and children aged 6-9 gave families the chance to learn techniques such as plate spinning, juggling, stilts and acrobalancing with professional circus artist Lila Lifely. One mother who participated with her 7 year old daughter “liked the fact that the adults had to be actively involved”.

Animation: Me and My Dad Built a Spaceship and We Went To… This workshop with East London animator, Lee Gould, was open to fathers and their sons aged 9 and above and had them working together to create their own animation showing where they would travel to if they had a spaceship.

Building a dream house

In the 3D Art… Make Your Dream House workshop, artist Cristina Ottonello welcomed all members of the family to create a miniature house and furniture out of various art materials such as paper and fabric which the families then took home.

Making a film in a day

Make a film in a day delivered by Circus Media gave ‘new’ families with fostered or adopted young people aged 12 – 18, the opportunity to create their own short film using professional cameras. They gained skills in basic storyboarding, composition, shooting and basic editing and received a copy of their film as well as a certificate at the end of the workshop.