The Art of Possibilities

Kathryn and TioMolina at City Hall, London.

We use poetry with music to help develop the talents of young people and enable adults to see things differently.

Through the performing arts, young people can learn to embrace different languages, cultures and beliefs and see themselves as global citizens. We offer

Partnerships with schools and organisations to make a difference to the lives of young people and the professionalism of staff;
Workshops, conferences, research mentoring and leadership support to help change school cultures;
Education and poetry workshops for children, young people and adults to develop their skills and talents;
Keynote sessions at Conferences and events;
Dance coach training and Café Concerts for enjoyment and personal fulfilment.

TioMolina using dance and music to help educators
to understand themselves and what they bring to their profession.

We work with school leaders and aspiring leaders on a range of professional and academic programmes, aiming to harness their energy, skills and sense of commitment.

We offer a fresh perspective on leadership: Leaders, Leaders as Place Leaders and place-makers. Place-makers appreciate that each person stands on common, yet different ground. They choose to use their leadership to build ‘trustful’ schools: places of belonging for children, young people and communities.

How leaders think, decide, act and reflect, and draw on their knowledge to create a road-map of possibilities is critical to the well-being of children and adults, and to their sense of agency.

Kathryn in Chile

We work with school staff to help them develop their sense of agency and recognise that they – and the children and young people they work with - are capable of doing and being and achieving.

Our workshop sessions are designed to be enjoyable, challenging and worthwhile. We draw on the knowledge, skills and experiences of participants: what they bring with them as individuals and as professionals. The workshops:

Strengthen understanding about the importance of place and belonging;
Demonstrate the power of poetry, music and dance to help participants understand themselves and the lives and experiences of young people;
Identify some of the steps that staff can take to make schools and communities places where all children, young people and adults feel they belong.

We work with young people, helping them to develop their talents and sense of belonging, and their sense of agency: a belief that they can shape the world for good – and have the skills to do this.

This approach offers a fresh educational and cultural perspective which:

Generates emotional well-being in young people, releasing their talents and creativity;
Strengthens roots and connections and helps create a sense of belonging;
Encourages communication and collaborative ways of working;
Stimulates new ideas and ways of working;
Deepens learning and provides fresh insights and experiences.

We give school leaders, teachers and young people the research tools to find out about their own schools.

What we’ve learned is that when staff and students are involved in research in this way, not only does it help develop their skills and capacities but the process of helping discover what is and what needs to be done also contributes to the likelihood that it will happen.

Teacher-researchers and student-researchers become change agents.

Engaging in – and with – research about place and belonging is an approach which gives teachers powerful insights into young people’s lives (encouraging them to explore, reflect and act differently). It provides young people with the opportunity to voice their experiences and develop their skills and sense of agency and it encourages school leaders to see themselves as place leaders and place-makers.