All of our workshop packages have been designed to be as inclusive as possible, ensuring that whatever a school or community’s needs, we can help.
"Sal had an immediate impact from the moment she walked through the door! Energetic, inspirational and a grower of people!
Her activities really captured the attention of our pupils and she worked closely with our staff to engage and develop our creative curriculum. Her work with our after school drama club was amazing and many of our children really learnt to find their inner performer and this had a direct impact in their speaking and listening behaviour across the school.
We loved having Sal in our school and can't wait to get her back in so we can create more scenarios and really boost our experiential learning opportunities! A star performer and an inspiration to learners."
"I love that these regular workshops give children allocated time and permission to engage in an imaginative world.
By working closely with some children in the nurture groups, I have noticed a distinct difference in behaviour within the classroom and around school. Sal has encouraged and nurtured particular children that needed that extra boost.
Their social interactions with other children and confidence has improved dramatically as a result."
"Sal brought with her an absolute armoury of skills both with children and with adults.
Whilst retaining and enhancing all the positive aspects and character of the children's previous rhythmic compositions she provided them with a super structure around which to anchor and a clear and secure vision towards which we could all work.
She "captained the ship," so to speak, giving the children such positive direction and a tremendous "vibe" which also served to reassure overloaded staff members. She was excellent and the production a great success."
Round The Twist delivers inspiring, engaging and high quality interactive arts workshops which allow children to engage with pioneering artists pioneering artists in the North West.
We are committed to ensuring that storytelling, puppetry and many other art forms are promoted and incorporated into a wide variety of creative works and used in as many innovative ways as possible.
We deliver weekly workshops that are carefully and considerately orchestrated to access every learning type within the group. Regardless of ability, we guarantee a positive experience for every child. We ensure children will feel included, safe and secure in their learning environment.
Together with the children we build memorable journeys that explore complex moral and social issues, alongside high quality planning and preparation to suite your schools or organisations priorities. We are passionate and dedicated in making art and performances and documenting journeys that involve working with the children themselves, their parents and carers, and the wider community connected to them.
Although Round The Twist believes in progressive, ongoing performing arts provision where children can gain confidence, build relationships with our facilitators and develop their skills, we also provide taster packages. If your school is unsure about committing to an annual contract, this way they can still experience Round The Twist’s unique approach to igniting a spark.
We are proud to have some of the North-West’s top practitioners within our collective and also have connections to a wide range of pioneering arts-based activities. Our practitioners use a person-centred, unique approach whereby children have the opportunity to build self-esteem and confidence whilst solidifying and extending their topic knowledge. Our practitioners believe learning through play is an empowering, fun and memorable learning process that is greatly needed in this current climate. Round The Twist practitioners deliver sessions in an explorative, focused and passionate manner in which children can relate, connect and trust one of our experienced practitioners.
We ensure that all our practitioners have up-to-date DBS clearance.
Please get in touch if you wish to discuss a Service Level Agreement or would like a copy of our Safeguarding policy.
Founder & Creative Director
When I was a little person, people used to call me Zebedee (from The Magic Roundabout). This is because I am super energetic, often smiling and sport lots of springs in my step. I believe that we are all born creative in some way, and any involvement in discovering, surfacing and nurturing this with any child, or any human being I work with gives me great reward and warmth.
I have a wealth of experience in facilitating lots of adventurous and creative activities and programs in schools, playschemes, adventure playgrounds and theatres with the objective of children gaining educational, social, emotional and physical benefit through modes of creative expression such as art, music, dance and drama. I graduated with a 1st class degree in Playwork in 2012 and have been teaching Performing Arts in schools ever since. During this time I have gone on to study a Postgraduate Diploma in Performing Arts Leadership in Education and founded Round The Twist in 2017.
I believe passionately that children are our future and our memories made in primary school are vital to our child development, directly influencing our behaviour transitioning into teenage-hood. We all have unique memories of teachers that were kind and compassionate to us, or remember an imaginative game that submerged us into a dramatic world. My favourite was playing witches, playing out the characters from Roald Dahl. Round The Twist offers opportunities for children to learn through play and the arts, to build a safe space for these memories to flourish and for connectivity to become stronger within the community of a school.
Arts Education Consultant
After ten years of researching the self and working in child-development, I started to feel frustrated and sad about the society we live in. I realised that life holds many possibilities and potentials that were not being explored, and I was alarmed at the misleading messages and the increasing pressures of modern-day life. Research was making sombre reading, with more reports of mental-health problems increasing and well-being falling. Although this is a generation-wide concern, my heart reached out to our children. After more reports on the disillusionment and disenchantment amongst our young, I started to imagine a child with all their excitement and wonder about the world, continuing to grow and develop in this way right through to adulthood.
Please visit Jeannine’s other organisation:
http://www.awespace.org
Drama Facilitator
My desire to encourage and inspire young generations is visible in my endeavour's attached to various community groups and in working for the nation's largest, widespread Shakespeare programme for children and young people. I aim for inclusivity and to encourage positive reinforcement in identity through the power of theatre.
I am a graduate of Liverpool Hope University and RADA. My recent performances include REACT at Royal Exchange Theatre, FOOL at Victoria Baths, Speaking Backwards (performance instillation) LIPA. Other recent credits include: Love Mouth Everyman studio, Olivia Everyman studio, Marta You’re Just The Same as Everyone Else and Us, Ms Ratchitt Battersea Barge, Millie, Because She Loved The Lion (National Tour) and The Dancer Stone crabs Theatre Company. I have been featured on Camden Roundhouse Radio plays, An Ident commercial for Chief Production and I am soon to be featuring in PINS music video directed by Olivier Richomme. My devised works have showcased at FOOL by Short&Sweet, Warp Festival, Threshold Festival, Wilderness Festival, Flux Festival, Playground Festival in 2014. I am a facilitator and cofounder of Petrichor Performs, a Liverpool based site specific performance collective.
Please see some examples of Nuala’s work:
http://nualamaguire.weebly.com
Textiles Facilitator
My name is Nat, otherwise known artistically as ‘Talie Linseed’. I am a Manchester based textile artist. I utilize 5,000 year old natural dyeing processes to create unique, ecologically sustainable fashion.
I use plants, find objects and minerals from my immediate environment to provide the colour and pattern for each garment. I bring millennia old techniques into the modern day to produce the collections I create in my studio in central Manchester. This method is imperfect and ever changing, guaranteeing every piece created is completely individual.
I am passionate about individuality, diversity and differences not only in textiles, but in human beings too. I believe working with children and young people and allowing them opportunity for this to be celebrated can only bring shiny, positive and memorable moments!
Please see some examples of Nat’s work:
http://www.talielinseed.co.uk/Cotton-scarves
https://www.instagram.com/talielinseed/
Photographer
My favourite imaginative game to play would have to be a ‘jimmy riddle’ at bed time. We’d each take it in turns to tell stories about our adventures that day before we went to sleep. I was fixated with my grandad camper van so we’d typically gone somewhere in that.
At primary school our class all walked to a ruined castle down the disused railway line that runs through my hometown. After the castle visit we all went to our teacher. Mrs Archer’s house in the same village. It was the first time I ate a sun lolly.
Please see some examples of Joe’s work:
http://www.joeolismith.com
https://www.instagram.com/joeolismith/
Music Facilitator
One of the most positive experiences I can recall from my time in school was when I represented my high school for the 200 metre sprints at the sports tournament that was held annually for all the local schools in the area. I remember the exhilaration I felt when I sprinted as hard as my body would allow me. I've always considered myself a decent runner and these were the seldom moments when I could prove that I was faster than everybody else. However, I always came second. I lost to the same person every year that I ran, but only ever by a whisker. Although I was disappointed to come second every year, I never felt distraught about it, as it pushed me to work harder in order to achieve the goals that I desired.
If I was to choose a favourite animal, it would probably be the Siberian Husky. This is because I find them to be extremely elegant and charming beasts, not to mention they are fiercely loyal and loving creatures. They always stick together and look after each, much like human beings do.
Please hear some examples of Shay’s work:
https://soundcloud.com/shaymaguiremusic
https://dont-fret.bandcamp.com/album/unfolding-ep-df004
Let’s talk about how we can help you.
We love hearing from schools and organisations that are interested in working with us in the future.
If you’d like to get in touch with us and find out any more information, then please feel free to contact us directly at our creative studio, where someone will be happy to stretch a smile across your cheeks.
