Susan Elkin joined authors and educationalists at the Action for Children’s Arts Awards in London and hopes you will follow her lead in supporting this worthy body to help campaign for greater access to creativity and the arts for young children
In November a large group of people passionate about the arts and what they can do for children met in snazzy premises opposite the BBC in Portland Place.
It was the annual Action for Children’s Arts Award ceremony, hosted by the BBC at the De Vere Venues. In a room swarming with people who write, act and campaign as well as quite a few keen book-clutching youngsters and lots of teachers, the first person I spoke to was Chief Scout, actor and ACA patron Peter Duncan, (remember him on Blue Peter?). He showed me how to operate the tea urn and told me he loves these upbeat celebratory events. And I know what he means.
First came a presentation to Sir Ken Robinson, the great arts education guru and adviser who wrote the influential 1999, government-commissioned report All Our Futures: Creativity, Culture and Education (also known simply as The Robinson Report) among many other books. Sir Ken now lives in America but his daughter was there to collect his Outstanding Contribution Award and he sent a video which summed up the spirit of the afternoon. Yes, arts are essential to education. Yes, arts can and do transform lives. Yes, we must all do everything we can to promote them…
And so to the main award of the day. With many accolades, the prestigious JM Barrie award was presented to charismatic and hugely successful (35 million books in the UK) children’s author, Jacqueline Wilson whom we interviewed in Ink Pellet last year. Previous winners include Floella Benjamin and Lynne Reid Banks who were both there. Bernard Cribbins won last year.
Wilson’s influence on the arts has been, and continues to be, huge. There can be few authors (apart from Roald Dahl, maybe), for example, who’ve provided the catalyst for more theatre. Polka Theatre, the children’s venue in Wimbledon, staged dramatisations of eight different Wilson novels in the 1990s and the movers and shakers behind those shows were present at the awards to explain how those productions came about. Television made Wilson’s Tracy Beaker famous and Dani Harmer, the actor who played her, was there to sing Wilson’ praises. She was a part-time stage school attender when she auditioned for the part of Tracy: her first audition. The Emma Reeves (also on hand to sing Wilson’s praises) stage adaptation of Hetty Feather is currently touring again after two West End runs where it got strings of four and five star reviews. And CBBC has a different version of Hetty Feather, starring Isabel Clifton (also present). It adds up – books and spin-offs – to experience of the arts for millions of children and young people. Each person present spoke warmly about Wilson and the area of her life they’re involved in. It was a bit like being at This is Your Life live. Bravo Wilson and all who work with you. The very best bit of the whole event was seeing on film how kind and thoughtful you are with your young readers, many of whom have queued for hours at, for instance, book signings. You clearly respect and value each and every one of them.
Also presented, among others, were ACA members’ awards to children’s playwrights Mike Kenny (The Railway Children in York and London) and Charles Way (Beauty and the Beast at Polka Theatre, until 7 February) – both of them responsible for strings of enhancing shows with the ultimate potential to transform lives.
Good to see veteran playwright David Wood in fine form too. I interviewed him recently for the November issue of Ink Pellet… Chair of ACA he has written many children’s books and memorable plays including Roald Dahl adaptations. His Goodnight Mister Tom (based on Michelle Magorian’s iconic novel) was back in the West End at Christmas with David Troughton in the lead role (see interview on p 6) and then there’s another big national tour until May 2016. An actor, magician and showman, Wood hasn’t lost his touch when it comes to bouncing about in a suit evincing enthusiasm. And we need plenty of that because we must not – really must not – forget just how important the arts are for children.
I joined ACA www.childrensarts.org.uk after this event and recommend that you do too. It costs only £30 a year and they need the money so that they can bash away at raising public awareness.