Gillian Twaite, the company’s Artistic Director is an experienced Drama Education Practitioner and  with a MA in Drama, Education & Cultural Studies from Warwick University (1997).

She has worked as a visiting Theatre in Education/ Drama lecturer both in the Uk and Abroad (including a 6 week residency with Trinidad Theatre Workshop in 1997)

In 2004 She was awarded a BEAF Legacy Award to develop her writing for children and young people

In 2007 she was awarded The Black Country Creative Practitioner of the Year Award for her work in Black Country Creative Partnership Schools.

In 2009 She was awarded a Leading Edge Practitioners Bursary by Bright Space (Birmingham Creative Partnerships)

What we offer

We are happy to work with your school or college in a range of ways. We can create bespoke sessions or days to fit your curriculum needs; deliver sessions from the range of  existing packages; or in collaboration with other arts or education funders develop new work in collaboration with your staff/ students.

We also run INSET . All our workshop leaders are CRB checked and are experienced in working in educational settings.

Previous work includes:

• A six month project working alongside a number of  KS1 & 2 teachers developing ‘out of the box’ thinking to develop drama and creativity at Mapledene School, Birmingham
• A term long project working with Lunchtime Supervisor to develop a ‘creative play’ corner of the playground at Stow Heath Infants, Wolverhampton.
• Working alongside a Visual Artist to develop the potential of the outside classroon using drama and storytelling  at George Dixon Primary and Holly Hill Infant Schools
• Working with a musician (in collaboration with Symphony Hall) to create an audio storybook of ‘Yashka and the Witch’ with Priestly Smith Junior School
• Birmingham Hippodrome Summer School (working with an animator) to re create Mary Poppins on film with a group of 8 – 14 year olds.
• A play in a day as part of an Arts Week for Myton School, Warwick

Recent Projects

Woodlands Infants School, Shirley   2009

In the Spring of  2009, Gillian worked alongside Foundation Two teachers to develop a drama based problem solving maths project using the stories that would be an integral part of the  Early Years Curriculum.  They used the stories of the Three Billy Goats Gruff and The Gingerbread Man as stimulus and the project finished with a problem solving family day; where parents come and tried out a range of  maths based activities led by their children.

Gillian returned to the school in the Autumn of 2009 to work with the Nursery department to explore the story of ‘Rama and Sita’ as part of their Diwali week celebrations.

(Different storytelling styles)

This project  included  the use of a range of drama strategies and both projects utilised the outdoor creative space.

(Mrs. Beaton, who made the Gingerbread Man, discussing portions of cake and the cost of biscuits with a couple of customers)

Devonshire Infant School, Smethwick 2007 – 2009

This is an ongoing Creative Partnership which started in the Summer term 2007 when Gillian worked with 3 classes of Reception Children and their teachers. She is working with the same group children this term, developing their storytelling skills.

Sharron Philpot (Head Teacher) has written the following testimonial:

“Staff and pupils at Devonshire Infant School, Smethwick have worked with Gillian Twaite for the past 2 years as a Creative Partner through our Creative Partnerships work. Staff and pupils love her sessions, she has made a huge impact on our school! Our  initial theme was role play to develop language and young children’s writing and Gillian came and worked with staff during an INSET and then planed a series of sessions with each year grioup to develop role play and drama in our curriculum. She dressed up a pirate, stranded on a desert island and children loved explaining to her where she was, what to do and how she may escape!”

“The following year she became an Alien landing at Devonshire Infants wanting to know all about Earth! Through Gillian’s creative, innovative idea children became Space cadets, training to go into space – managing to cover a whole half term’s science objectives in 3 sessions! The children came alive – it was noticeable that the quietest, most shy children became confident, eager to speak to the ‘alien’. Children who find concentration difficult became engrossed and could recount verbally the whole session and say what they had learned! This has had an enormous impact on our school. Staff are now confident to plan role pay and drama activities across the curriculum, and are regularly seen ‘in role’ – one member of staff even donning a large paper bag to become The Paper Bag Princess!!

This year we are focusing on Storytelling, and once again through an INSET day, Gillian has made staff enthused and eager to try her ideas! Gillian has a knack of making things look so easy! Staff are not afraid to have a go, and because Gillian tailors ideas directly to our needs, thinking carefully about curriculum as well as the age and ability of our children the project make an immediate impact on pupils and staff alike!”

Past Work Documented

This article outlines the journey that New Invention Infant School went on in its first year as a Creative Partnership School and the role of the Drama Practitioner