Macbeth inspires and the Hare learns a lesson

This Autumn term has celebrated so much within the arts at Allerton and we are only eight weeks in!
The hook for Year 5 was Shakespeare’s play Macbeth. The opening scenes inspired the ghoulish witches, battle scenes, facial features and ambitious yet cruel Lady Macbeths. These were depicted through the mediums of paint, weaving, clay and modroc with puppets from scrap materials breathing life into junk!
Dance and drama immersed Year 5 into the first few Acts, with 5LM using their arts fortnight to cast the initial characters within the play. Little did they know that the Carriageworks Theatre in Leeds would be their stage-and they certainly owned it! Along with three other schools within Leeds, they took part in the Shakespeare Schools Festival and performed Macbeth to a paying and appreciative audience! Photographs depicting their performance will be uploaded very soon…
Aesop’s fable ‘The Hare and the Tortoise’ provided the hook for 2HS. A treasure hunt introduced facts about hares, whilst dance and drama combined with oral storytelling inspired stories, paintings and press prints. ACE’s art studio looked fantastic and was appreciated by so many parents, grandparents and interested adults!
Here are just a few of the comments shared in our celebration fortnights when asked to comment on what was really liked:
“The creativity behind the learning – Emily has loved the past two weeks and has talked non-stop. The best bit for her was the press print. I thought the clay work was excellent. The cafe and art studio are fab!”
“I loved the dancing and the colourful prints. Seeing the children’s pictures and what they’ve been up to is really valuable as a parent.”
“Michael’s improved painting and his amazing enthusiasm for this project.”
“The enthusiastic way the children talked about their learning. How they could identify not only what they found challenging but how they overcame their challenges-love it!”
“I enjoyed the dance and thought that the children interpreted the music really well. The masks are also wonderful, very different to each other-all very unique.”
“I loved the weavings and their use of colour. The children have embraced Shakespeare language!”