Performing Arts Workshops

by One Day Creative
published 29 March 2022

We speak to Becky Zimmerman, founder of One Day Creative, about why the performing arts play such a key role in their in-school workshops. Plus, which new topics they've added this year!

Hello! Can you give us a quick introduction to One Day Creative?

Of course! One Day Creative is an education company that delivers quality educational experiences for primary-aged children across the UK. Through both in-school and online workshops, we utilise the performing arts to bring key topics to life, empower young people and help them (and their teachers!) access the creativity in their curriculum. We began life in 2013 and are now proud to work with schools all over the country.

These interactive workshops cover an array of subjects, ranging from History and World Culture to Anti-Bullying and Online Safety. In total we have over 80 titles to choose from!

Why the performing arts?

Quite simply, because not all children are academic learners. Combining drama, discussion and on-your-feet fun gives children new, accessible avenues to explore their own learning. Our workshops are highly interactive - and even the shyest pupils often thrive in them! Seeing young people connect with their topics is why we love what we do.

Our facilitators are experts at using activities to ignite young imaginations, while also adapting to the unique needs of each class. The best bit of feedback we can get from a school is "I cannot believe you got that child to do that". Luckily, I get to hear it quite regularly!

What sort of topics do you cover?

Our most popular workshop categories encompass History, World Culture, STEM, Literacy and huge annual events like Anti-Bullying Week and Safer Internet Day. At peak times we've been known to deliver over 100 workshops in a single week! Earthquakes and Volcanoes, Great Fire of London, Dance Carnival Brazil and Mindfulness are other year-round favourites.

We also create unique one-off workshops for special events like the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. We have over 80 workshops to choose from so it's definitely worth browsing our website to see what's on offer.

How does a usual 'One Day' day run?

All of our workshops last for a whole day and can be delivered as 1-hour, 2-hour or full-day sessions, depending on the topic. That means up to four classes can potentially get involved in the activities across a single day. Our workshops are ideal because we do all the hard work for you. On the day itself, all we need is a large clear space to work in and a teacher/staff member to be present - our friendly facilitator will then take care of the rest!

From the moment you enquire, our central office team is on hand to answer any questions, make suggestions and tailor the day to your school's needs.

What sets your company apart from the competition?

Right now, we're leading the way by offering schools the flexibility to choose between engaging face-to-face workshops and an array of on-demand video options too. I'm also going to throw in the fact that our customer service, even as a really tiny team, is always second to none! Finally, our nationwide network of talented workshop facilitators allows us to reach schools in most areas of the country, which many education companies aren't able to do.

What do you have planned for this year and beyond?

After all the ups and downs of the pandemic, we're delighted that there remains a huge demand for educational workshops. In fact, I think teaching has become more dynamic than ever and it's wonderful to see schools taking what they've learnt in our sessions and applying those creative techniques to their classes year-round.

Already this year we've created brand new workshops on Significant Women, Religious Festivals, Captivating Castles and some right royal workshops for the Queen's Jubilee! As core members of the Anti-Bullying Alliance, we'll also have a dedicated workshop for Anti-Bullying Week on the 2022 theme (still to be announced!).

This year we want to continue to support teachers and pupils to the best of our ability, bringing creativity to classrooms both online and in-person.