Free to expressDay two of Freedom explores how students are free to express by creating a range of activities for their own Freedom Festival. Students will plan games and activities, comedy sketches, compose a song or piece of music and create a dance all expressing the theme of freedom.

There are four challenges (about five hours’ worth of work) that can be used in a sequence as a whole day’s programme or as one-off activities. All challenges are flexible and can be completed by individuals, pairs or by groups of students.

The challengesChallenge A: Free to playChallenge B: Free to laughChallenge C: Free to performChallenge D: Free to move

Learning and Creative outcomes After completing the four challenges students will have:

Planned games and activities • Written and practised comedy sketches• Composed a song or piece of music Created a dance to express the feeling of freedom

Extra challenges • Freedom feast: organise a feast or barbeque to celebrate the

freedom to create, debate, share and enjoy.

• Create a recipe for a freedom cake: what ingredients would you put in it? Liberty, tolerance, friendship?

Curriculum links Literacy, Art and Design, Music, Design and Technology, Physical Education.

• Introduce the season and outline what the challenge involves

• Ask students to fill in the festival activities planning sheet with activities and games they have enjoyed at festivals or events they have been to

• Cut up the Free to play cards (my ideas and other ideas). Ask students to order these cards into what they would like to include in their festival

• Students pick their top three activities for a festival

• Remind students what freedom means

• Students plan three activities to include in their festival using the festival activities planning sheet

Challenge A:Free to playPlan a programme of freedom themed games and activities to include in your Freedom Festival.

Prep (you will need) Props (we have provided)

Programmes and posters from festivals Ask students to bring in a variety of games

• Free to play: my ideas

• Free to play: other ideas (cut up into cards)

• Festival activities planning sheet (3 per student)

Freedom to give: research a charity to give some of the proceeds from your festival

Challenge B:Free to laughWrite a comedy sketch for your Freedom Festival.

• Introduce or revisit the theme and outline what the challenge involves

• Ask students to bring in joke books and to share a joke that makes them laugh

• Explain that they are going to write and perform a comedy sketch for their festival

• Watch online clips of James Campbell, children’s stand up comedian who performed at the May Back To Ours festival

• Discuss tips for a funny situation or comedy scene

• Class works in groups to write a short comedy script or sketch with jokes

Prep (you will need) Props (we have provided)

Watch clips of James Campbell kids stand up comedian

Ask children to bring in joke books

• Tips for a funny situation or comedy scene

The joke’s on us: compile a class joke book and sell copies for charity or school funds

JOKES

Challenge C:Free to performListen to songs and music on the theme of freedom and select one to perform as a class.

Prep (you will need)

MP3 or YouTube to play a selection of songs about freedom.

Suggestions include: Amazing Grace Bob Marley, Redemption Pharrell Williams, FreedomBob Dylan, Chimes of Freedom Pete Seeger, We shall overcome Cream, I feel free The Beatles, Free as a bird Patti Smith Group, Privilege (Set Me Free) David Hasselhoff, Looking for Freedom Beethoven, Ode to Joy (previously know as Ode to freedom) Nina Simone, I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free

Props (we have provided)

• Freedom song grid

• Introduce or revisit the theme and outline what the challenge involves

• Listen to a selection of songs about freedom and fill in the freedom song grid

• As a class discuss what students have learnt and which song they enjoyed the most

• Pick one song about freedom to perform at your festival, discuss why you picked this song

A freedom jam session: organise a freedom jam session where people are free to join in and play Freeform music

Carnival of the animals: listen to Saint-Saëns’s The Carnival of the Animals (Le carnaval des animaux). Compose your own version or choose an animal and write what freedom might mean to that animal

The music of the carnival: find carnival songs and music, listen to a selection and make up your own version

• Introduce or revisit the theme and outline what the challenge involves

• Show the class clips of different styles of dance

• Ask the students to talk about what dance form they like best and why?

• In groups, students design one dance movement to represent the theme of freedom

• Taking turns, each group teaches their move to the rest of the class

• Choose one of the songs about freedom suggested in Challenge C, put all the moves together to create a dance

• Practice the dance and perform it at your school

Challenge D:Free to moveCreate your own class dance to express the theme of freedom.

Prep (you will need) Props (we have provided)

YouTube clips of different styles of dance

• Tips for a good dance routine

• Tips for freedom of expression in dance

Colours of freedom: arrange to go and see The Colours of Freedom performance or watch a recording

The Freedom of the Carnival of the Animals: Create a dance on the theme of Saint-Saëns’s The Carnival of the Animals expressing the freedom of each animal

Carnival dancing: learn a traditional carnival dance, like the Samba

Wri

te o

r dra

w y

our

ideas

in t

he b

oxe

s

Free t

o p

lay:

my i

deas

FREE T

O E

XPRESS - C

HAL

LENGE A

Ball

games

Face

pain

ting

Bake

-off

Juggli

ng

Bean b

ag

thro

win

g

competi

tion

Hook

a d

uck

Toy s

wap

Thro

win

g

wet

sponges

Cra

ft

act

ivit

ies

Hula

hoop

competi

tion

Deco

rate

a f

lower

pot

and

pla

nt

a s

eed

Tug-o

f-war

Marc

hin

g b

and

or

oth

er

music

Ski

ttle

s o

r te

n

pin

bowli

ng

5 a

sid

e

footb

all

Tombola

Duck

race

or

toy c

ar

race

Fort

une

tell

er

Acr

obats

Guess t

he

weig

ht

Free t

o p

lay:

oth

er

ideas

FREE T

O E

XPRESS - C

HAL

LENGE A

Festi

val

act

ivit

ies p

lannin

g s

heet

FREE T

O E

XPRESS - C

HAL

LENGE A

Act

ivit

y o

r game:

Where

wil

l it

take

pla

ce?

Where

wil

l it

take

pla

ce?

What

do y

ou n

eed?

Wil

l you c

harg

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If s

o h

ow m

uch

?

FREE TO EXPRESS - CHALLENGE B

Tips for a funny situation or comedy scene

Look for humour in everyday events. Think about funny things that have happened to you or people you know.

Consider your audience. Think about what makes them laugh. What would make your Grandma chuckle or give your three year old brother the giggles?

Choose a real-life situation

Your sketch must be realistic but exaggerated

Each character should display an emotion, for example, sad, excited, shy, playful

Each character must be doing something, looking for something, making tea, reading the paper

What happens next? There is a problem, something goes wrong that upsets their plan

The characters react to the problem which leads to a series of knock-on effects

Conclusion or punchline

Freedom s

ong g

rid

FREE T

O E

XPRESS - C

HAL

LENGE C

Song

Tempo (

was i

t quic

k or

slo

w?)

Key l

yri

csHow d

id t

he s

ong

make

you f

eel?

FREE TO EXPRESS - CHALLENGE D

Tips for a good dance routine

Watch clips of different styles of dance

Decide what style your dance is going to be, ballet, tap, jazz, street?

Choose a song or piece of music to accompany it

Decide how many people will be in the dance

Plan the steps in small sections

Listen to everybody’s ideas

Work out an opening pose

Work out a finishing pose and hold for a few seconds

Practice the routine in stages

Build up to performing the full routine

Have fun!

FREE TO EXPRESS - CHALLENGE D

Tips for freedom of expression in dance

Through dance, dancers can express feelings and emotions, helping convey a message to the audience

Think about what you want your story to say. Think about how the music, movement and facial expressions can help tell your story

How can you exaggerate your body language to project a particular feeling, mood or emotion?

Consider different types of movement. Jumping, running, leaping turning, crouching, what type of feelings does each movement convey?

Think about your facial expression, mouth eyes and eyebrows. Discuss ways to engage the audience with your facial expressions. How would you look happy, excited free? Watch clips of dances and say out-loud what feelings you thing about as you watched the pieces

Does dancing alone or in a group help convey a particular feeling?

Think about your whole body, does moving a particular part, for example your armshelp project a particular feeling?

Movement is an important factor in expressing ourselves. Don’t worry aboutwhat people think.