PERFORMING ARTS COMPANY COLLABORATES WITH SPECIALIST TUTORS TO HELP YOUNG PEOPLE WITH VARIED NEEDS

Revolution Performing Arts (RPA) has announced a new partnership with Hunt Scholars to support young people for children with varied needs.

The two Swindon organisations are working together to create an empowering alternative provision for young people with non-traditional educational needs or who may have found that school is not for them. The service will run initially from North Swindon accepting referrals from local schools and offering support to home-educating families. 

RPA was founded in 2007 by Fi Da Silva-Adams and specialises in encouraging young people to celebrate their individuality through the power of performing arts. 

Fi says: “We plan to offer a bespoke package to children who for many reasons have been unable to flourish in the school system. Academic education works best when a person feels part of a community of shared values, feels their skills and contributions are important and that their experiences are validated. We wanted to create a safe space with the right environment for resilience to develop and self esteem to grow.”

Ellie Hunt is a qualified teacher who runs the specialist tuition service Hunt Scholars from Swindon. 

Ellie was diagnosed with autism and ADHD later in life which helps her to communicate with and understand her neurodiverse clients. Ellie has three neurodivergent children who have all enjoyed exploring performing arts with RPA. 

 “There is something naturally exuberant and joyful about everything that spills out of Revolution Performing Arts. It is a place where children feel accepted, not ‘othered’ so that they can have the confidence to be themselves,” Ellie said. 

Revolution@HuntScholars will be an inclusive education provision that is rooted in performing arts and skills for education and life. Sessions are bespoke and are ready to be commissioned immediately. Young people who might find this service of value may come through a referral through their school, another support organisation or their parents may make contact directly. 

Ellie says: “Other providers locally tend to use sport to support young people with differing needs so the time is right for an art-based package. We will use drama to develop emotional literacy such as understanding what body language may look like. Dance can help children who need movement breaks because they can’t sit still for long. By trying circus skills a child might master balancing a peacock feather on their finger and take that confidence forward into a maths lesson.”

Fi Da Silva-Adams from RPA said: “We are ready not just to support young people on that initial pathway of becoming ready to learn and integrate into the wider community, but also to gently reintroduce skills across the curriculum, linking them back to education in a way which feels relevant and attainable for them.”

To find out more and register interest visit https://revolutionpa.co.uk/alternative-provision/