Flip the Script provides children and teachers in schools with the tools to tell their stories through film. A free programme, it involves film screenings for schools in our cinema, in-school workshops culminating in pupils creating their own short films, and continuing Professional Development (CPD) workshops for teachers.

Using performance, storytelling and various film-making techniques, pupils explore how their own personal narratives link to those of different places and times, and how our collective histories impact the world we live in today.

 

Autumn

Into Film Festival

Kicking off this year’s programme, autumn brought with it lots of filmmaking fun for students and teachers alike with the return of Into Film Festival. A collaboration between Into Film and Flip the Script, in November 2023 we welcomed hundreds of pupils from local schools to Rich Mix for free cinema screenings.

 

 

 

During the Into Film week, pupils from Christ Church Primary School also joined our team behind the scenes at Rich Mix as part of Kids In Museums Takeover Day, getting an insight into all the different roles and jobs in an arts venue.

 

 

The Takeover Day began with a film screening in our cinema. The Super Mario Bros Movie proved a big hit, prompting lots of singing along and wonderful renditions of Jack Black’s Peaches throughout the day!

 

 

The pupils then joined our marketing team, creating tweets and filming short videos for our socials, taking on the role of copywriters, directors & presenters. 

 

 

Working with our technical team, the pupils also learned how film projection works, creating their own animation and learning how to operate a 35mm projector. 

 

 

And last but certainly not least, the pupils joined our visitor services team, making popcorn and soft drinks, learning about our Box Office and taking tickets as ushers. 

 

 

Rich Mix is a great place to hang out and have fun. It’s a very relaxed building and it makes you want to go again
Pupil

 

Spring

CPD sessions 

Moving into 2024, in January we began delivering our Flip the Script CPD workshops. Our CPD sessions champion one of Flip the Script core purposes, diversifying the curriculum and using personal narrative to empower pupils’ sense of self. The first two sessions were writing workshops led by our Associate Artists Mr Gee and Amani Saeed. In these sessions, teachers reflected on their writing practice and explored how free writing can inspire creativity in the classroom.

 

It’s always a pleasure to be involved with Flip the Script, especially to see how intuitive young minds can be within the workshop settings. Once children are encouraged to take ownership of their stories, we watch their ideas take flight.
Mr G

 

Continuing our collaboration, Into Film led the next two workshops, the first exploring how we can use filmmaking in the curriculum, and the second focused on animation and how we can use the art form to engage students with the curriculum in creative ways.

 

 

Every year I look forward to working with the Rich Mix team on Flip the Script. It’s incredible (and a little sobering) to see how young people are connecting the dots between what’s happening in their books and what’s going on in their boroughs. There’s nothing quite like watching their creative spark ignite.
Amani

 

Flip the Script sessions in schools

Since January 2024, Schools and Education Coordinator Helen has been running Flip the Script workshops in schools. We have been working with eight schools – six in in Tower Hamlets and two in Hackney, across 14 KS2 classes. Each school has taken part in four workshops over the term, working together to create their own short films.

 

As part of the sessions, we worked with the pupils to explore all the different roles in the film industry. Gaining practical transferable skills throughout the sessions, the students learnt about roles from prop-making and art direction to lighting, sound, catering and more.

 

 

There have been some brilliant ideas coming from the young people for their films this year, ranging from climate change, myth, history, discrimination, and change. These include:

  • Odysseus and Cyclops: flipped on its head in a freaky–Friday moment – exploring how the story would be different if they walked a mile in each other’s shoes
  • Poetry around climate change, discrimination and conflict
  • Beowulf: finding our own inner courage
  • Untold stories of WW2: exploring stories of those who came to fight in the war from abroad
  • Travelling time to visit ancestors and hear untold stories from history

 

I have never seen the kids as excited as when they know we’ve got Flip The Script coming in!
Teacher

 

 

Looking forward to summer

Now that the filming is complete and the editing stage is underway, the pupils are considering the finishing touches for their films. Once finished, the films will be screened at our red carpet premiere in our cinemas this summer. Keep an eye out for updates on our blog – we can’t wait to share them with you!

Find out more about this year’s Flip The Script programme.

Watch 2021’s My Story, Our Story compilation film.

Watch 2022’s The Future Is Ours compilation film.

Watch 2023’s Flip the Script compilation film.

Flip the Script is funded by The Portal Trust and Tower Hamlets Arts & Music Education Service (THAMES).