Professional development has been key to the long-term success of the creative learning programme and linked to each of our creative learning projects.
We offered regular Creative Teach-Meets to help schools, libraries and creative practitioners to share inspiring practice and develop collaborations with our local and national partners. These include Royal Ballet and Opera, the National Gallery and Creativity, Culture and Education.
From July 2026 we will be running a series of webinars focused on creative learning, sharing insights from and opportunities for Children’s Capital of Culture legacy projects so please contact our Creative Learning Manager, Becky Parry becky.parry@rotherham.gov.uk for further details.
Past Events
Creative Teach-Meet: Royal Ballet and Opera - creative learning opportunities that improved wellbeing
Thursday 25 September
4:00pm - 5:30pm
online
This Teach-Meet was aimed at primary school teachers.
Participants joined us to hear from Royal Ballet and Opera about their free programmes for primary schools. Recent research carried out by RBO and Place2Be in Rotherham showed that their creative opportunities had a beneficial impact on young people’s wellbeing.
The Rotherham schools involved enjoyed being part of the programmes and the research, and we were keen to spread the word so even more could benefit.
Attendees heard from Kirsten Hutton, Impact Manager for Learning and Participation at RBO, on the programmes and how to get involved.
They then heard from Dr Hannah Wilkinson, Research Partnerships Manager at Place2Be, about the findings of this exciting Rotherham research.
How to join (historical reference)
To receive a link to join the session, participants were asked to contact Dr Becky Parry using the Contact Us form to request an invite.
They submitted a general enquiry and included ‘Creative Teach-Meet’ in their message.
Creative Teach-Meet: Social Innovation Education - using creative problem solving to improve the local area
Thursday 19 June 2025
4:00pm - 5:30pm
The LEAF Centre (next to Rockingham PD Centre)
Roughwood Road, Rotherham S61 4HY
This Teach-Meet was aimed at primary schools.
The LEAF Centre is a therapeutic step-out provision that aimed to radically improve the emotional wellbeing, learning opportunities, and social development of children most vulnerable to social and educational exclusion.
It was co-created by children at Rockingham J and I School, alongside staff and community members, through a Social Innovation Education programme embedded in the Willow Tree Academy curriculum. The programme empowered children to be creative problem solvers who addressed social and sustainability issues they identified in their local community.
Attendees heard about the numerous projects children from all four schools in the Multi Academy Trust had worked on and how these had made them more creative and innovative.
Sally Travis from the Cultural Education Network, a new organisation that provided hands-on support for teachers, then explained how they worked and how they could support schools.
Finally, Jen Wall, Education Consultant for CCoC, explained how to get involved in Social Innovation Education.
Creative Teach-Meet: Introducing Articulation - developing confidence and expression through art
Thursday 22 May 2025
4:00pm - 5:30pm
This Teach-Meet was aimed at secondary school teachers and creative practitioners.
Articulation is a free National Gallery programme that engaged young people, regardless of background or experience, with art and developed their confidence and ability to express their opinions, thoughts, and conclusions.
Abi Cobb, Engagement Manager for Children’s Capital of Culture, led a group of Rotherham students completing the Gold Artsmark Award. They embarked on their Articulation journey at Wentworth Woodhouse on 1 April and shared their experiences so far.
Participants also heard from alumni of the Articulation programme about what it was like, how it had impacted them, and how secondary students could get involved.
Josepha Sanna, Articulation Project Manager for the National Gallery, was available to answer questions about how to get involved.
REANIMATE: ART, LITERACY, DESIGN, COMPUTING
Friday 2 May 2025
9:30AM - 2:30PM
Rockingham Professional Development Centre, S61 4HY
This practical session took participants through each stage of animation production, working with Aardman alumni and independent filmmaker Virpi Kettu of Kettu Studios.
Participants learned how to undertake animation with children and young people through inspiring international case studies. They were also invited to consider how film and animation could be integrated more into their practice with children and young people.
Further details were shared about how to get involved in the REPLAY film and media festival.
Finally, participants planned their involvement in the REANIMATE project, considering how animation could be used for creative consultation that gave children and young people’s ideas a public platform.
REMAKE: PRIMARY STEM AND LITERACY
Wednesday 30 April 2025
9:00am - 2:30pm
Rockingham professional development centre, S61 4HY
This was a hands-on creative day for Rotherham primary teachers, creative practitioners, and librarians, led by Maker{Futures} at the University of Sheffield. Participants learned how maker education could provide an exciting and active learning environment that developed ‘maker spirit’ and supported inclusion and engagement.
Attendees brought along a laptop and a favourite children’s book and left with a range of inspiring, innovative ideas and resources. They also developed plans to help children engage creatively with stories through science, technology, engineering, and maths.
REIMAGINE: PRIMARY DRAMA
Thursday 24 April 2025
10:00am - 2:30pm
Rockingham Professional Development Centre, S61 4HY
Participants worked with internationally renowned and experienced drama educators, Chol Theatre, who had developed Imaginary Communities through action research in Rotherham classrooms. They learned how to implement the approach in their own context and became part of a growing drama education network.
During this practical training day, participants were guided through a series of accessible activities, discovering creative, inclusive, and playful techniques to engage children in learning while developing empathy, communication, and collaboration.
They learned how each stage had been designed to support co-creation of imaginary worlds with children, based on stories, histories, or settings. Participants left the training with new creative approaches that could support cross-curricular learning and increase engagement in literacy.