Newington Light Festival

After the huge success of the Newington lights festival last year, RAPS will again be a key partner in creating and celebrating the Newington lights festival again this year.  

For those of you who are new to the school Starlings Support are designing a project with Cohesion Plus and Future Foundry – both Arts Council NPOs. The company have been granted Arts Council funding and together with the local community we will be hosting a community-led lights festival featuring local schools right here in the heart of Newington, (further information about the companies can be found at the bottom of this letter).  

The parade will again start at the Newington Community Centre. There will be bands and entertainment from 17:00 and the parade will commence at 18:00. The parade will finish at 18:45 culminating in a firework display and community celebration at Royal Harbour Academy (Upper Site) from 19:00. The festival will feature culturally diverse artists, including a New Orleans style band, a Samba group, Stilt walkers, African drumming a Brass band and Indian drummers. 

In the build-up to the parade, the school will be taking part in a series of inspiring workshops where children shall be making lanterns for the festival. All children will be given the opportunity to make a lantern sculpture/ hand lantern to showcase in the parade. The design of the Lanterns shall be very different from last year- many of the children will be making these with a specialist artist and will either spend the day or half the day making these at various points within the next few weeks. 

As you can probably imagine, making 420 lanterns with the children in years R-6 is going to be a very challenging and time-consuming task, however we want all children to have the opportunity to showcase their work in the parade and this is where we need your help.  

I am asking for parent volunteers to come in for the day/ part of the day, to help make the lanterns alongside their children. This will be a great opportunity for you to also be involved in the event and share what will be a wonderful day with your child at school and then walk proudly with your lantern alongside your children in the parade on Friday 18th October.  

The following dates and times have been arranged for the lantern making workshop: 

Year group	Mon 30th September	Tuesday 1st October	Wednesday 2nd October	Thursday 3rd October	Friday 4th October	Monday 7th   October	Tuesday 8th October
R	10-11 Team Cole  11-12 Team Piper					10-11 Team Cole  11-12 Team Piper
Year 1							10.15-12
Year 2			10.15- 2
Year 3				12.30-4
Year 4		10-4
Year 5			10-4
Year 6	10-4

 

If you can help at all for all or part of the day, then please contact Mrs Smith,  

kelly-ann.smith@ramsgateartsprimaryschool.co.uk with your full name, child's full name, team name and availability for that day. I shall then get back to you with confirmation. Your help will be gratefully appreciated however much time you are able to give. 

If you have any further questions, then please do contact me ASAP. 

I look forward to hearing from you.