• Marvellous Masks

Curriculum links: English, Art

NC breadth of study EN1 4b: use character, action and narrative to convey story, themes and emotions

Pupils learn about Chinese and Japanese traditional theatre, dance and opera and look at examples of theatrical masks. During the session pupils will make their own masks and use them in a performance of a traditional tale.

  • Zen Gardens

Curriculum links: Religious Education, Art

NC breadth of study 3g: worship, pilgrimage and sacred places

Pupils will look at images of the Zen Buddhist ‘dry gardens’ of Japan . These spaces were created as a focus for meditation from stark arrangements of rocks and raked gravel. Pupils will recreate elements of these gardens on a miniature scale using sand, pebbles and moss.

  • Chinese New Year Dragon Dance

Curriculum links: Music, English, Religious Education, Art

NC breadth of study: a range of musical activities

Pupils will learn about the traditions of Chinese New Year and then work together to prepare for a ‘Dragon Dance’ procession. Pupils will make and decorate a large Chinese dragon and then will carry out a procession using percussion instruments and traditional Chinese music to accompany the dance. (Please note, this workshop is appropriate around the time of Chinese New Year – January and February)

  • Terracotta Army

Curriculum links: History, Art

NC breadth of study 6d: a world history study

Pupils will look at reproductions of the awesome 7,000 strong terracotta army created in China over 2000 years ago. During the session pupils will handle objects of the same age and origin as those found with the terracotta army. They will create a personal tomb guardian using air drying clay and these can be used to form a class terracotta army.

  • Shadow Puppets

Curriculum links: English, Art

NC breadth of study EN1 4a: create, adapt and sustain different roles

Pupils will examine the museum’s fantastic collection of Indonesian and Thai shadow puppets. During the session, pupils will create their own puppets and use these to perform scenes from the epic story, the Ramayana.

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