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Projects
Alongside our open access programme of events and sessions we run a number of externally funded projects each year.
To find out more about supporting our projects Support Us
Catching Words
Catching Words is a literacy intervention project working with year two pupils who are not achieving the levels expected of them. The project involves a writer and a Story Builder going into school and running active literacy sessions aimed to boost children’s confidence and attainment with reading and writing. In last year’s pilot phase the project was shown to have an impact on the participants confidence and speaking and listening skills as well as their reading and writing levels. In the academic year 2010/11 Catching Words is taking place in three Newham primary schools.
Catching Words is a literacy intervention project working with year two pupils who are not achieving the levels expected of them. The project involves a writer and a Story Builder going into school and running active literacy sessions aimed to boost children’s confidence and attainment with reading and writing. In last year’s pilot phase the project was shown to have an impact on the participants confidence and speaking and listening skills as well as their reading and writing levels. In the academic year 2010/11 Catching Words is taking place in three Newham primary schools.
'liked when we were doing the story and doing all the other things and I had lots of fun and friends to play with and I am very proud of my writing. I liked when we were doing a freeze frame (drama technique) and when we were planning our story. I felt happy and cheerful…'
This project is supported by SHINE, The Equitable Charitable Trust and The Foyle Foundation.
Mighty Mega Sounds
Mighty Mega Sounds is a Saturday morning music club, engaging children with disabilities and their parents, carers and families. Running from January 2010 for two years, this programme gives children with a wide variety of needs and abilities the opportunity to explore music and sound, create their own musical performances, instruments and recordings. Through fun and inclusive activities children are introduced to a diverse range of musical styles, techniques, instruments and activities.The Mighty Mega Sounds club is currently recording a CD of songs and compositions (produced January 2011), developing a sonic installation (completed December 2011) and creating a Mighty Mega Sounds toolkit – which will be a resource available to all of Discover’s staff team and inform the organizations future work with children with disabilities/SEN.
Mighty Mega Sounds is a Saturday morning music club, engaging children with disabilities and their parents, carers and families. Running from January 2010 for two years, this programme gives children with a wide variety of needs and abilities the opportunity to explore music and sound, create their own musical performances, instruments and recordings. Through fun and inclusive activities children are introduced to a diverse range of musical styles, techniques, instruments and activities.The Mighty Mega Sounds club is currently recording a CD of songs and compositions (produced January 2011), developing a sonic installation (completed December 2011) and creating a Mighty Mega Sounds toolkit – which will be a resource available to all of Discover’s staff team and inform the organizations future work with children with disabilities/SEN.
This project is supported by BBC Children in Need, Newham Aiming High, D'oily Cart Charitable Trust.
The Big Write
Now in its fourth year, this programme delivers one of our core aims by providing opportunities for school children and families to have contact with leading authors. Throughout the year children’s authors lead workshops, events and performances. The Big Write Festival took place 1 - 9 March 2012 with over 50 events led by the UK’s leading writers and illustrators including Michael Rosen, Nick Sharratt, Sarah McIntyre, Guy Parker-Rees, Ed Vere, David Roberts, Cressida Cowell, Michael De Souza, Jerermy Strong, Steven Butler, Chris Riddell, Paul Stewart and Jamila Gavin.
Now in its fourth year, this programme delivers one of our core aims by providing opportunities for school children and families to have contact with leading authors. Throughout the year children’s authors lead workshops, events and performances. The Big Write Festival took place 1 - 9 March 2012 with over 50 events led by the UK’s leading writers and illustrators including Michael Rosen, Nick Sharratt, Sarah McIntyre, Guy Parker-Rees, Ed Vere, David Roberts, Cressida Cowell, Michael De Souza, Jerermy Strong, Steven Butler, Chris Riddell, Paul Stewart and Jamila Gavin.
Feast of Stories
Feast of Stories is a story collection project. Working with 14 schools and approximately 840 children in Lambeth, Greenwich, Redbridge, Haringey and Hackney Discover will be collecting stories and recipes from children and their families. The stories and recipes will then be made available digitally on our website.The children involved in the project will work with a sound artist and a Discover Story Builder who will work with them to share stories, rhymes and songs. In addition each school is being offered family sessions each time Discover visits the school to promote the idea of stories being passed down from parents to children. The culmination of the project will be a Feast in each school where families are invited to in order to share food and stories.
This project is part of A New Direction’s The Biggest Learning Opportunity on Earth
Get Set
The Discover Story Centre is quite literally a javelin’s throw from the Olympic Park. In 2006, as the local community began undergoing its incredible transformation, we set out to document that process through the eyes and voices of the children living there. One of these projects is Get Set, a collection of interviews and photographic portraits tracking 40 children that live next to the Olympic Park over seven years. The project began in the academic year 2005/6 when the children started school, and will finish in the summer of 2012, when the same children are 11 years old and will leave primary school. Discover now has five years of photographs and interviews which have been curated into a short film - it provides a fascinating insight into children's everyday lives, hopes for the future and thoughts about the Olympics. As with many of the programmes at Discover, the children take the lead, so the result is an emotionally engaging portrayal that allows the children to speak for themselves about the enormous change taking place in their community.
The Discover Story Centre is quite literally a javelin’s throw from the Olympic Park. In 2006, as the local community began undergoing its incredible transformation, we set out to document that process through the eyes and voices of the children living there. One of these projects is Get Set, a collection of interviews and photographic portraits tracking 40 children that live next to the Olympic Park over seven years. The project began in the academic year 2005/6 when the children started school, and will finish in the summer of 2012, when the same children are 11 years old and will leave primary school. Discover now has five years of photographs and interviews which have been curated into a short film - it provides a fascinating insight into children's everyday lives, hopes for the future and thoughts about the Olympics. As with many of the programmes at Discover, the children take the lead, so the result is an emotionally engaging portrayal that allows the children to speak for themselves about the enormous change taking place in their community.