Now in its fourth edition, Pic ‘n’ Mix provides children and teachers in schools the tools with which to tell their stories through film. The programme involves a free programme of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for teachers, film education screenings and in-school workshops with writers and filmmakers.

In 2020/21 the theme for Pic ‘n’ Mix will be ‘My Story, our Story’. With an emphasis on literacy and storytelling, children will perform, act and speak on screen, creating films on their individual and collective experience of recent times. The programme will provide children with the opportunity to express and process their experiences of the last year as a result of the pandemic, offering film as a creative means to improve their sense of self and wellbeing.

Please be assured that all our activities in 20/21 take into account our COVID safety guidelines.  Find out about how we’re keeping you safe in the building.

Pic ‘n’ Mix is run with the support of our partners Tower Hamlets Arts & Music Education Service (THAMES) and is funded by Canary Wharf Group, Derwent London, The Portal Trust and THAMES.

This FREE programme is available to Primary Schools in Tower Hamlets Area 6 (Bethnal Green) so please get in touch.

 

The Programme:

  • 20 & 26 Nov 2020 / Mar 2021 (dates tbc) : Into Film Screenings. Each participating school will bring their bubbles to Rich Mix’s cinema to watch a film carefully chosen with support from Into Film for the themes of the programme.
  • 20 Nov 2020: Kids in Museums Takeover Day. One group will get a behind-the-scenes experience of what it is like to run a neighbourhood arts centre and cinema. See our blog about the 2019 Takeover Day.
  • Jan 2021: CPD workshop at Rich Mix. As well as resources for schools, workshops with teachers will share our approach to utilising film as an accessible means of supporting learning beyond the programme, to focus on screenplay writing and filmmaking.
  • Jan – Mar 2021: Literacy and Filmmaking workshops in schools. Each participating school will receive two half-day literacy workshops and two half-day film workshops, run in partnership with Rich Mix Associate Artists across theatre, film and spoken word (to be announced). The workshops will focus on scriptwriting and poetry, monologue writing, acting out scenes, developing a narrative, supporting children to create their own films.
  • May 2021: All films submitted
  • June 2021: Tower Hamlets Primary Film Festival at Rich Mix. A showcase of the films, for schools, teachers, parents and special guests.
It is clear that we need to use the skills the children have gained. We now have two year groups in the school who are confident at using the recording and editing apps.  We need to build on this allowing them to teach other children (and adults). I would like to see filming being used in at least one English unit per year group each year.
Teacher (St Paul's Whitechapel)
Most of the children have had no prior experience of filmmaking, so in this sense one of the most important aspects of learning was to begin to show the children the types of thinking that goes into making a film. Having a local focus with the Stepney City Farm advising us on our school Vegetable garden project, also helped the children learn more about their local area and we hope to develop a greater relationship with local people.
Teacher (Ben Jonson)

Watch 2018’s My Tower Hamlets compilation film.

Watch 2019’s Tower Hamlets Stories compilation film.

Watch 2020’s Green Tower Hamlets compilation film.