Schools in Warnbro and Calista to receive Creativity for Schools grants

Students at two local schools will be exploring their creative sides thanks to a splash of cash. Calista Primary School and Warnbro Community High School Education Support Centre are among 13 schools awarded a Creativity for Schools grant from the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries. The program partners schools with creative professionals to embed creativity into students’ learning and understanding across curriculum areas. The funding supports activities in schools and aims to increase access for students and teachers to engage in enriched learning through arts processes and experiences. The Calista and Warnbro schools successfully applied for a residency category grant, which awards up to $20,000 to projects involving artists-in-residence in schools for about 25 days. Calista Primary School will receive $19,992 for students to work with musician Ken Allen and members of Junkadelic Brass Band to co-design, make and perform with large-scale puppets and musical instruments made from reused and recycled materials. The $16,729 heading to Warnbro Community High School Education Support Centre will enable students to work with a local Noongar artist to explore language and build cultural responsiveness. Culture and the Arts Minister David Templeman said the funding gave primary and high school students the “opportunity to explore and perhaps discover what kind of art makes their heart sing and how they can apply creative skills to different subject areas”. “They also give professional artists across a range of disciplines the opportunity to teach and share their skills and passions with young people,” he said. “Who knows, we might find our next notable artists in this crop of students.”