UNLOCKING CREATIVITY IN HARROW: CHANGING:MINDS 2025
At Create, we believe that every child – including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) – deserves access to high-quality creative opportunities. That’s why, with the support of John Lyon’s Charity, we’ve been delivering our multi-artform programme changing:minds with pupils at all five special schools in Harrow since 2019.
Designed to enhance confidence, communication and creativity, changing:minds takes our professional artists into special schools to co-create engaging projects with children and their teachers. This June, our artists led transformative projects across the arts (including animation, drama, music, photography and printmaking) at: Alexandra School, Kingsley High School, Shaftesbury High School, West Lodge Primary School and Woodlands School. These projects sparked imagination and connection in powerful ways and culminated in an inspiring showcase that spotlighted the students’ incredible talent.
EXPLORING SOUND AND SELF-EXPRESSION AT KINGSLEY HIGH SCHOOL
At Kingsley High School, our musician John Webb led a six-day music residency, inviting pupils to explore instruments, use music apps like ThumbJam and express themselves with their voices and bodies.
Teacher Sanjeetha saw meaningful breakthroughs:
“They’ve been exploring different instruments, using the iPad app, using their voices. One student didn’t want to touch the instruments at first – and then he played. That was a breakthrough.”
Her colleague Mary added:
“It’s not just sitting in a circle and banging percussion instruments. It’s been more involved than that.
The smiles and laughter showed everyone wanted to be there.
Mary – community partner
Over the years, students at Kingsley have also explored dance, drama, painting and puppetry through changing:minds. The long-term legacy of the programme is clear:
“It gives children an opportunity they don’t normally have,” said Sanjeetha. “It takes a lot of confidence and courage to be up on stage.”
And the benefits extend beyond the students:
“When specialists come in and share their creativity,” said Mary, “teaching assistants take ideas back to the classroom.”
CONFIDENCE AND CREATIVITY ON STAGE AT ALEXANDRA SCHOOL
At Alexandra School, our drama artist Martin Murphy delivered a six-day drama project, helping pupils unlock their imaginations through physical movement, storytelling and performance.
Teacher Krupa watched her class grow through the challenge:
For some children, acting is difficult, but they’ve really grown in resilience and pushed on. They’ve worked together as a team and created something that’s completely their own.
KRUPA – community partner
The project also offered valuable inspiration for teaching:
“A lot of the drama skills and storytelling can be used in PE and English. The children don’t get the chance to do anything like this otherwise.”
Krupa described the joy of watching the students celebrated for their creativity:
“They’re never on a stage like that normally. I think it increases their confidence – it’s brilliant.”
THE LASTING IMPACT OF CREATIVE LEARNING
Whether through the chime of a bell, the flap of imaginary wings or a shared moment of laughter, the impact of changing:minds is lasting. By embedding creativity into the school environment, the programme nurtures confidence, communication and a sense of possibility for both pupils and staff.
We’re deeply grateful to John Lyon’s Charity for its continued support. With its help, we’re making creativity more accessible for children with SEND and building a legacy of inclusion, imagination and joy in Harrow.
