1st December 2022
HEADLINES
By James Saunders
THE POWER OF THE ARTS We have made it to December and are now on the home straight to the end of term. And what a great term it has been. There are however still two more full weeks to go and then we can start thinking about the holiday. This week has been a bit different. The thing about working in a school is that every day is different and every day offers its challenges. Monday however, was a bit more different than usual. Here’s why. About a week or so ago I was approached by an independent film company who were in need of a location for a movie they were producing. They had already been let down by a few schools and hoped that Honywood could help. So I said yes, we would happily support them - with one condition. I wanted our learners to be able to experience being in a film set and get something out of it. Amazingly they agreed and on Monday a large film crew descended upon us and after much logistical organisation from Mrs Frogley we were able to allow our learners to be extras in the film and to watch the director and crew at work. This was a rare experience that I knew was too good to pass - where else can you get to be inside a living film set en masse. Our school is all about providing capital enhancing activities and this was certainly one. It brought learning to life for our Drama and Media gcse learners in cohorts 9 and 10. They got to witness first hand the hard work, patience and stamina needed to work in film as well as the wide range of roles that make up the crew. I was so impressed with our learners who sat for 3 hours whilst take after take and camera angle after camera angle was made. I was also grateful to Peter Andre who was there to support his son Junior who was in the cast of the film. Peter spoke to learners at the end of the day about his journey from his humble beginnings in Australia to where he is now. I also got to find out that
we have quite a Peter Andre fan base amongst our staff - and a few parents too. Also a big thank you to Junior for taking time to meet with the learners at the end of the shoot. I know that experiences like this rarely come along and am glad that our learners got to create some memories and feel what it is like to be in a film set. I also met the youngest actor ever - a sweet little 11 month old baby who was playing the role of a baby (surprise surprise) in the arms of Michelle Ryan who you may remember from Eastenders. I remembered her from the 2012 film, Cockneys vs Zombies. I have spoken in the past about the need to push the arts. As an industry the arts were really hit hard by the pandemic. In these dark times we are living through right now we should never underestimate the power of the arts and creativity to give us hope. The arts are something more than just an academic discipline or even a vocation, they are an essential part of our society. The arts can transform communities and can bring comfort, joy and reassurance. Ultimately, they are good for our wellbeing. The writer and producer of the film has also agreed to come back to school to run some workshops with our learners. I hope that the partnership we have created will offer up further opportunities for our learners in the future to help them increase their social and cultural capital. In the meantime have a lovely weekend and don’t forget that there is no school tomorrow. James Saunders
Dates for the Diary 28th Nov - 16th Dec
C11 Mock Exams
Thurs 8th December
Christmas concert - 6.30pm
Fri 9th December
Christmas Jumper Day (Save the Children)
Fri 16th December
Christmas lunch for learners (all cohorts)
Tues 20th December
End of Term (early finish)
Mon 9th January 2023
All learners return to school