Art and Design PGCE partnership with Glyndebourne

As part of our ongoing partnership with Glyndebourne, teacher students studying (Secondary) Art and Design PGCE recently took part in their autumn season workshops, as well as attending the school performance of Mozart’s Don Giovanni’.

Trainee teachers first took part in the workshop which picked up on elements of the Glyndebourne production, bringing together directors, singers and musicians, working and engaging with aspects of performance and creative approaches.

In addition to raising awareness of the art form, the workshops also help to support skills including voice projection, confidence in standing up in front of a class and audience, working collaboratively, taking risks and introducing innovative creative and engaging starting points to classroom teaching and learning.

Course leader, Julie Howard said “As always Howard and the whole team at Glyndebourne were fabulous. It was brilliant to observe the students undergoing activities in performance art, taking risks, and feeling comfortable enough in their surroundings to be able to do so. They were taken out of their comfort zones and grew in confidence and resilience. It is such a bonding day with the students and everything else they learn and discover about themselves”.

On Wednesday 15 November, our trainees attended the performance for schools – a unique experience where Glyndebourne’s world-famous auditorium is filled with school pupils from the local area – experiencing all the emotion, spectacle and intensity of ‘Don Giovanni’, full-length and fully staged.

Julie said “This really is one of the highlights in my calendar every year and it is definitely one of the experiences the PGCE students recall throughout the course as being really memorable for them as they train to be teachers”.

Later in the year, trainee teachers will also have the unique opportunity to apply for the artist-in-residence programme run exclusively in partnership between Glyndebourne and The University of Brighton.

Interesting in teaching secondary art and design – find out more on our website.