Pupils worked with Imagineer Productions and the Hippodrome CREATIVE learning team to make costumes and choreograph a performance, all as part of the Summer in Southside, a free festival of spectacular street performance, fun and food hosted in Hippodrome Square and Arcadian.

The creative end-of-term workshops took on a carnival theme in line with this year’s Rio Olympics, giving pupils the chance to learn the history of carnival before performing to family and friends.

It was one of three identical workshops run at schools close to the three Lookers Vauxhall Birmingham sites at Star City, Yardley and Selly Oak. Ark Chamberlain Primary Academy in Small Heath and Cherry Oak School in Selly Oak were the other schools to take part. The workshops form part of the Hippodrome CREATIVE programme’s wider commitment to provide opportunities for vulnerable and disadvantaged youngsters.

Des Ricketts, head teacher at St Clements C of E Academy, said: “We were delighted to get involved and want to thank everybody from Hippodrome CREATIVE, Imagineer and Lookers Birmingham for giving our pupils the opportunity to take part. It was a wonderful experience for the children, combining creativity, education and performance – something they will remember for many years to come.”

Liz Leck, creative learning manager at Birmingham Hippodrome, added: “We are incredibly excited about this project because it has given us a chance to work with some new schools that we might not otherwise have the chance to work with – and in turn with children that might not normally have the opportunity to take part in a creative workshop of this kind. We must thank Lookers Vauxhall and Imagineer for helping to make it happen.”

Dee Allen from Lookers Vauxhall Birmingham said: “Like Hippodrome CREATIVE, we take great pride in helping to support learning opportunities for young people across Birmingham and the communities in which we operate.