Blog by Katy Vanden, Producer, Cap-a-Pie
It is hard to believe that Cap-a-Pie is 30 years old. For a small arts organisation, continuing to thrive 30 years after it was founded is a real achievement.
The reason for our continued success can be traced to our ongoing commitment, from the very beginning to today, for Cap-a-Pie to be useful to communities in the North East. The DNA of our organisation has always been focussed on how we can share theatre in ways that make a real difference to people’s lives.
Over the past three decades we have worked alongside thousands of young people, teachers, researchers and community partners. Together we have explored big ideas through theatre – from climate change and science to local history and identity. Over the past decade alone we have worked with more than 6,000 young people in schools, created performances for over 7,000 audience members, partnered with more than 30 schools and seven universities, and even shared work at the National Theatre and COP26.
Cap-a-Pie began in 1996 with three graduates from Northumbria University – Gordon Poad, Mark Labrow and Anne McCourt. They met while studying drama and picked the name Cap-a-Pie from a dictionary. They liked that it sounded “kind of classical, kind of European and also kind of Geordie.” They also liked the meaning: from head to foot – theatre from head to foot.
The company’s first project was a small one. Supported by a grant from Derwentside District Council, the team worked with 8–12 year olds to create a performance of The Wild Man, based on the book by Kevin Crossley-Holland, which was shared with parents.
But something important was already there from the start. That was the belief that theatre could be useful in people’s everyday lives and belief still shapes what we do today.
As Gordon Poad reflected: “When children take part in this kind of creative work, they come away feeling that they matter – that their ideas are valued and that they are part of something bigger. When we honour children’s contributions in that way, it helps them see themselves as part of their community. That sense of belonging can stay with them for life.”
Photo left: Yvonne Tang (Teacher) Brad McCormick (Artistic Director) Jeannie May Adam (Facilitator) and Katy Vanden (Producer). Photo right: Jeannie May Adam facilitating a workshop with pupils from Chillingham Road Primary School.
Schools have always been central to Cap-a-Pie’s work. Over the years we have developed long-term relationships with teachers and school communities, creating projects that connect theatre with the curriculum and with the issues young people are interested in exploring. Many of the approaches we use today grew out of our work with the Creative Partnerships scheme, when artists worked alongside teachers to explore how the arts could support learning in the classroom.
Alongside this work in schools, our partnerships with universities and researchers have become an important part of what we do. Since 2012 we have increasingly collaborated with scientists and academics to bring research into classrooms in creative ways.
Projects such as Climate Change Catastrophe! brought together hundreds of young people with scientists and engineers from Newcastle University to explore one of the biggest challenges of our time. The resulting filmed production was shown at COP26, the UN Climate Change Conference.
More recently, our work has continued to evolve through projects such The Vanishing Act and Marvellous Microbes, each developed in collaboration with researchers and shaped by the ideas of the young people who take part.
In the past year we have been working with independent evaluator Alison Whelan to better understand the impact of our work in schools. Her evaluation highlights three consistent areas of impact: confidence, engagement and critical thinking.
Teachers regularly describe pupils becoming more willing to speak, perform and share ideas during workshops. One teacher reflected that “confidence was a big focus for the children”, noting that pupils who rarely speak in class were able to present their thinking.
Young people themselves describe how learning through theatre helps ideas stay with them. As one student said: “When you’re just learning without anything, it’s not going to stick… when you’re doing fun stuff it helps stick in your head.”
The evaluation also shows that pupils develop stronger collaboration skills and increasingly thoughtful responses when discussing complex questions, from environmental issues to ethical dilemmas. For us, these findings reinforce something we have long believed – when young people are given the space to explore ideas creatively, they engage more deeply with the world around them.
Last year we were delighted to receive the Best Arts and Education Partnership award at the North East Culture Awards, recognising the importance of the relationships we have built with schools over many years.
Photo left: Childhood project at Chillingham Road Primary School. Photo right: Marvellous Microbes workshop at Chillingham Road Primary School.
To mark our 30th anniversary we have also published a new report reflecting on our work and the people who have shaped it – from founders and collaborators to teachers, researchers and young participants. Looking back over three decades, one of the most striking things is how many people have been part of the journey.
Whether you’re a teacher whose class has worked with us, someone who has programmed, commissioned or funded our work, whether you’ve been to one of our performances, or whether you’re one of the hundreds of young people who have taken part in our workshops – thank you.
While this anniversary is a chance to reflect, it also marks the beginning of something new. This week we launched a new schools project called Childhood with pupils at Chillingham Road Primary School in Newcastle. The project explores what childhood means to young people today, giving them space to reflect on their experiences, ideas and hopes for the future through theatre and creative activities. It’s a project that connects closely to what Cap-a-Pie has always been about. That is listening to young people, taking their ideas seriously and creating imaginative spaces where they can think and create together.
Over the coming years we will continue developing new collaborations with schools, researchers and communities across the region, making thought-provoking, exciting and meaningful theatre. We look forward to continuing that journey together.
