West End musical Wicked has announced plans for new school and community workshops across 2023. The workshops will be delivered in partnership with Starling Arts, a non-profit which advocates singing to improve wellbeing in communities. This new initiative is a development of Wicked Active Learning, the musical’s education resource hub.
The company will be delivering three Wicked themed workshops, a wellbeing workshop, an anti-bullying workshop and a musical theatre workshop. The anti-bullying workshops have been created in partnership with the Anti-Bullying Alliance, a charity which Wicked have been supporting since 2007, with the wellbeing workshop being adapted for teacher and school staff groups. The workshops will launch on 6 March.
Wicked executive producer Michael McCabe said: “The Covid pandemic fundamentally altered the lives of many young people, and UK schools continue supporting them to recover both academically and in terms of their well-being. We’ve long admired the inspirational work that Anna Shields and Emily Garsin [Starling Arts’ co-founders] have been doing in schools and communities, particularly during the aftermath of the lockdowns, boosting mental health and self-confidence through singing workshops and choirs.”
Starling Arts co-founders Anna Shields and Emily Garsin said: “We’re thrilled to embark on this partnership with Wicked Active Learning. These workshops fuse together our passion for musical theatre, singing and wellbeing in a package that complements both the show and the curriculum. Wicked is the perfect story for exploring big ideas and we’re excited to work with people of all ages through this new workshop offering.”
The announcement comes at the start of Children’s Mental Health Week, which runs until 12 February.
Schools can organise workshops through the Wicked Active Learning website.
Words By Jo Elliott
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