Our Dreams of the Wild continue
Following Born Free’s successful education events with creative artists Haus of Conservation this summer, we’re busy planning next year’s workshops and your school can get involved!
Throughout June and July, Born Free and creative artists Haus of Conservation collaborated to deliver a series of educational events, Dreams of the Wild, for primary schools across Worthing, Crawley and Dorking in Sussex, UK. We are now delighted to announce that we are currently preparing a new series of joint, in-school workshops, which will be available to schools next year.
These unique learning sessions are not to be missed. Students who attended this summer’s workshops experienced a captivating dance performance, which delivered key conservation and welfare messages, before undertaking two interactive workshops to help them understand the struggles wild animals experience in captivity.
Haus of Conservation’s workshop focused on how to be kind to the natural world, using different mediums from dance and meditation, to a drama performance. Meanwhile, Born Free’s accompanying workshop gave students the opportunity to compare the lives of wild animals living free in the wild, with those kept in captivity. Focusing on the changes in animals’ lifespan, behaviour and social structure, the students learnt through creative writing, quizzes and ‘information hunts’.
The workshops provoked thoughtful discussions and enabled students to better understand the issues. Over four days, a fantastic 575 students took part, with one teacher’s feedback calling their session ‘A roaring success’, saying that ‘the variety of activities available throughout the day catered for a multitude of needs and the engagement from our pupils was excellent as a result.’
Then on July 14th, Haus of Conservation delivered a final public performance of their Dreams of the Wild production at Dorking Assembly Hall with the proceeds of their ticket sales donated to Born Free. “A fabulous evening spent with friends supporting a great cause,” said audience member Lori G. “The performance took us on an unforgettable journey allowing us to connect to the natural world, whilst drawing our awareness of human imprint, through an innovative theatrical performance.”
Intrigued? Born Free and Haus of Conservation are currently developing a new series of Dreams of the Wild in-school workshops, to be available to schools from mid-2024. Keep an eye on our website for future opportunities.
Or book a Born Free school workshop and download our free teaching resources.