As a result of all this madness, Roynon Performing Arts are extremely proud of what has been achieved, all the while dealing with so many unique, unparalleled challenges.
From March of this strange and relentless year, all learning across the nation was forced to become online only… but despite the clear setbacks this has presented (having tap classes in the living room, anyone?), Roynon managed to keep over 50+ classes of our original 60 still going.
2020 has been hard for all of us in one way or another. The COVID-19 pandemic has hit industries worldwide and, frankly, if we are somehow able to be healthy, we are lucky. In the UK, the arts industry has been especially hard hit, with no government funding for months and then once it was announced there would be protection, it’s still unclear as to who is going to get what…
In fact, there are some pretty impressive stats for Roynon’s ‘Learning in Lockdown’. Here are a few more:
- Over 940 classes delivered in dance, singing, drama, acro and music over lockdown.
- Over 3 months of online classes carried out via Zoom.
- A new YouTube channel created (with free as well as private student resources).
- Video collaborations between samba bands via @theaxesambacollective – a newly created samba network by resident bloco, Swanmore Samba Band.
- Online quizzes and socials, especially for Swanmore Samba Band members.
- New enrols and new beginner classes launched.
- Video resources and challenges made, such as choreography and ‘The Toilet Roll Challenge’.
- Days of teacher training and research achieved, which is already directly feeding onto lessons.
But despite whatever this may seem on the surface, all of this isn’t meant to sound like a self-congratulatory pat on the back. Far from it. If anything, it’s a heartfelt and massive THANK YOU to all those loyal and hard working students and their families that made this all possible! Thank you to all those people who took part and helped keep our school together, joined in with the fun and saw the value of learning in lockdown! And a huge extra special thanks goes out to those who enrolled over these strange times!
And as for the next academic year? Well, regardless of whether we’re forced into bubbles, scattering random hoops on the floor, marking out blocks in all sorts of rooms, partially zooming and painting rainbows, it’s bound to be a tricky one. In some sort of way, we’ll be prepped thanks to the last few months (thanks in the loosest possible term). And we can rest assured that the families and community that make Roynon Performing Arts what it is will be backing it and ready to take whatever it is we face next… together.
