Bold Tendencies

Creativity, learning and play are at the heart of our organisation. Since 2014 we have worked with commissioned artists and artistic associates to develop tools to mobilise our artistic programme for our audiences. To offer opportunities for the expression and development of personal creativity, and inspirational experiences for every life stage.

With the rich artistic annual programme at Bold Tendencies providing the core of our content, our Education, Community and Play work aims to provide creative and empowering learning experiences for free, with special attention to those who live within our immediate neighbourhood of Peckham and Southwark.

We know our programme has broad appeal and we aim to provide a varied offer, attractive and accessible to a full cross-section of the communities to whom we belong and to people of all ages and backgrounds.

Bold Tendencies is for everyone. We animate the programme and the site for schools, families and the neighbourhood through standalone education and community initiatives that take culture and civic values seriously.

Creative Learning Workshops are developed with 5 – 14 year olds in mind but are equally suitable for older children or those with SEND requirements. We work with local primary schools, youth groups and play schemes as well as families and self-organised groups can access this provision especially during the summer holidays and at weekends. Where possible we will always try to develop new ways of working or bespoke workshops for groups when requested. 

For our 2020 season we are offering:

• Remote Workshops (available from May – October)
• On-Site Workshops (from July – October)
• Summer Sculpture Workshops (from July – October)
• Site and Remote Tours

Full details of all available workshops here.  To book a session fill in the online form here.

We have developed innovative programming for children and young people exemplified in our ongoing work with Kate Whitley, Christopher Stark and The Multi-Story Orchestra (since 2011); Sharon Eyal, Gai Behar and the L-E-V dance company (since 2018); and Polly Graham and her opera company Loud Crowd (since 2018).  

Beyond the live programme we know the value of opening up the worlds of music, dance and opera to children and young people, offering proximity to world-class artists and practitioners in action. We continue to evolve a free programme of Open Rehearsals and Masterclasses, allowing for direct access to the world of performance and sought-after disciplines at a world-class level. 

These projects develop in participants essential skills such as communication, confidence and teamwork. They provide children and young people with greater understanding and enjoyment of classical music, dance, opera, wider social and cultural horizons, new skills and greater confidence.

The Multi-Story Orchestra work in advance of their concert programme in local primary and secondary state schools offering Schools Tours, Choir Projects, Young Players, Summer Workshops and the Multi-Story Youth Choir.

Loud Crowd offers rehearsed readings and open rehearsals of the opera programme for free for children, and in dance we partnered with the National Youth Dance Company to offer performance opportunities for NYDC alumni, visits to rehearsals for Sadler’s Wells summer school participants as well as workshops for young people with little or no professional dance experience.

“Be bold, be bold, and everywhere be bold.”  Herbert Spencer, Philosopher & Polymath

Founded in 2017 Bold Everywhere is a Registered Charity and sister organisation to Bold Tendencies. Bold Everywhere works in tandem with our Community Interest Company to develop and grow our range of programmes. This means that we can dedicate more space, time and energy to sharing what we do with our local community.

The aim of Bold Everywhere is to bring art and artists to life to engage and inspire youth and families equally across all backgrounds. These projects were never about scale but about thinking big. Our projects became pedagogical experiments, intended to open new dimensions for children, families and carers, as well as for our organisation. 

Each of our projects set out to explore one or more of the following questions:

• In what way can children and young people be enabled to determine and realise their own visions?
• How can we emphasise the value of creativity in the midst of a structured curriculum?
• How can we encourage students to think across boundaries, in more holistic ways, using multiple skills .i.e. how can we nurture 21st Century polymaths?
• How can we inspire and delight children, families, and educators using contemporary art, which might be outside their comfort zone?