Rewilding the Curriculum



On February 7th, Senior Lecturer in the School of Education Dr Lisa Stephenson and Evaluation & Learning Lead Dr Vicky Storey brought together teachers, artists, and cultural partners at Leeds Beckett University’s Headingley Campus for Rewilding the Curriculum—a half-day event exploring creative pedagogies in primary education. Designed for both newcomers and experienced arts educators, the event created space for participants to connect, collaborate, and deepen their understanding of how drama and storytelling can enrich the curriculum and support children’s wellbeing. In the afternoon, alongside Helen Stott, Allerton CE Primary School, and Bronagh Daly, Leeds Church Institute, BSDC delivered a workshop on how storytelling can elevate and enhance our creativity and learning.


24-25
Credits
2024 to 2025



An introductory presentation





The day began with an introduction from Dr Lisa Stephenson and Dr Vicky Storey. Rewilding the Curriculum is a shift in education that draws inspiration from ecological rewilding—restoring natural processes and ecosystems to create more resilient, diverse environments. In education, it’s about loosening rigid structures, allowing creativity to thrive, and reconnecting learners with themselves, others, and the world. It challenges mechanistic approaches to and instead cultivates space for exploration, imagination, emotion, and connection. Rewilding is not about removing structure altogether, but rather redesigning learning environments to be more dynamic, relational, and responsive to human and ecological needs.


Educators and Leaders





A panel of educators and leaders explored how creative pedagogies can be meaningfully embedded in schools. Namrata, a primary teacher from Bradford, Beryce Nixon OBE, CEO of Exceed Learning Partnership, and Mark Ford, a pedagogy adviser with the Welsh Government, offered grounded perspectives from classroom to policy level.





Beryce positioned rewilding not as an extra, but as a foundational approach. “Rewilding is not about being an add-on, it is the fundamental structure,” she said. Drawing from her own storytelling-based project called The Journey, she emphasised the importance of building deep relationships between children, teachers, and artists.

Namrata highlighted how creative pedagogies can empower children who might otherwise struggle in more traditional settings. She also acknowledged some of the challenges of embedding these approaches, noting that some colleagues—especially newer teachers—are still finding their confidence with this kind of work. A powerful quote from an SEN pupil who found freedom in drama: “I don’t have to worry about writing anything down.”

In closing, the panel reflected on what needs to change in order for rewilding to take root more widely. Leadership was identified as a key factor. Mark reminded us that “every school is different,” and rewilding must adapt to each context.


Workshops





The second half of the conference was shaped by a series of dynamic workshops that allowed participants to dive into practical applications of creative pedagogy. These sessions were designed to explore different aspects of storytelling, inclusion, and collaborative learning. They demonstrated how creative practices can be used to engage children in deeper ways, enhancing both their emotional and cognitive development.


Our storytelling workshop





Led by Balbir Singh, this workshop explored storytelling through classical Indian dance forms Kathak and Bharatanatyam — a rich fusion of narrative, rhythm, and movement. Balbir invited participants to tune in with their senses and be fully present, encouraging a creative responsiveness to sound, space, and emotion. Participants explored movements inspired by Krishna and traditional pastoral themes, illustrating how cultural narratives can be brought to life through dance.


A gift




As part of the event, workshop leaders were encouraged to bring in some form of gift for attendees. The gift could be anything from physical objects through to something less tangible, like a workshop plan or activity suggestions. The gift that Balbir Singh Dance Company provided was a pack to decorate and make your own origami paper boat. If you want to take do this for yourself, you can find a link to the template and instructions below.

If you’d like to decorate the sails of your boat, you can click this icon to download and print the 2-sided A4 template, which shows you where they will be once folded. Once printed, you will have to cut the sheet into a square. Alternatively, if you don’t wish to decorate your sails, any blank sheet of square paper will do.

Click this icon to view and download written instructions for constructing your paper boat.



Photographers

Balbir Singh
Elia Tomé
Minh Nguyen

 Illustrations

Morgan Girvin