100 words bring huge reward for Middle East and UK schools
01 March 2011
The sharing of just 100 words will bring learning to life for 50 children and young people from the UK and the Middle East in London this weekend (5/6 March).
The students - from schools in Yemen, Iraq, UAE, Saudi Arabia and Oman in the Middle East and Edinburgh, Abergele, London, Derbyshire and Chester in the UK - will converge on the South Bank Centre in London after winning the British Council’s 100 Words competition.
The competition, organised by the British Council in the Middle East, called upon schools involved in the Connecting Classrooms programme to write and perform plays using only 100 words. Ten of those words had to be in the language of their partner school. They then had to film their play and upload it on to the British Council’s Connecting Classrooms website. The plays had to reflect one of the Olympic values of friendship, respect, excellence, determination, courage, equality and inspiration. The winners were then selected.
Vicky Gough of the British Council says: “It is more important than ever that we ensure our young people develop the skills and understanding they need to thrive in our global society. This competition is a great way to get schools involved in learning about other cultures. It stimulates creativity and helps build understanding between cultures.
“Working together through Connecting Classrooms opens young people’s eyes to what life is really like in other countries, and shows them that young people share many of the same hopes and aims the world over. “
The students will spend the weekend in London bringing 100 words to life through drama with the help of Natasha Betteridge from the 100 Words theatre company. Following the workshop weekend the Middle Eastern students will spend the week at their partner schools in the UK.
For more information and interviews with the British Council please contact Sharon Williams on 0207 389 4808 or Sharon.williams@britishcouncil.org
Note to Editors
Winning Schools:
- Upton Chester High School in Chester partnered with Al Khansa’a, Yemen
- Swanlea School, London partnered with Seih Al Afia Girls School, Oman
- Ysgol Emrys Ap Iwan, Wales, partnered with Al-Ghad Private Schools, Saudi Arabia
- Jewel and Esk College, Scotland partnered with Dijlah School, Iraq
- Tibshelf Community School, Derbyshire partnered with Zaineb Primary and Secondary School for Girls, UAE
Connecting Classrooms
Connecting Classrooms builds lasting partnerships between schools in the UK and others around the world. Through these partnerships, the programme develops understanding and trust between young people in different societies, creating a safer and more connected world for the future. For more information, please visit: www.britishcouncil.org/connectingclassrooms
The British Council
The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations. We work in over 100 countries worldwide to build opportunity and trust for the UK through the exchange of knowledge and ideas between people. We work in the Arts, English, Education and Society, including science and sport - and in the process contribute to the security and prosperity of the UK and the countries where we work. Last year we engaged face to face with 18.4 million people and reached 652 million. We are a non-political organisation which operates at arm’s length from government. Our total turnover in 2009/10 was £705 million, of which our grant-in-aid from the British government was £211 million. For every £1 of government grant we receive, we earn £2.50 from other sources. For more information, please visit: www.britishcouncil.org
100 Words
100 Words is a project for young people that opens imaginations, develops creative potential and creates global connections. Inspired by changes in Beijing as it prepared to host the 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Games, 100 Words designed by Natasha Betteridge and Rachel Parslew, aims to capture the essence of a language and culture in thousands of short plays, films or operas - each written using just a hundred words. Words and worlds are shared through live performance and digital technology, with an online environment created to give young people instant access to each other. 100 Words launched its artist development and creative language learning programmes in 2007 with activities delivered in both China and the UK - for latest news go to http://www.100wordplay.com/wordplay/
