Golden Tree Productions, the team that masterminded the Man Engine and Kerdroya: The Cornish Landscape Labyrinth, are inviting primary schools across Cornwall to Go Cornish! Commissioned by Cornwall Council, the Go Cornish for Primary Schools programme aims to give every child growing up in Cornwall the opportunity to learn something of the Cornish language, and to discover the culturally rich heritage of our amazing patch of the planet.
Launching today (25.6.2021) at AMATA Theatre, Falmouth University, Go Cornish will be available for free, providing teachers with a bank of cross curricula learning resources, a clear framework of delivery, and language support along the way. The programme requires little time commitment or admin and is available at three award levels (Bronze, Silver and Gold), with teachers not needing to speak Cornish themselves at entry level. Above all, Golden Tree hopes to raise awareness of the language and to inspire teachers, young people and their families to have fun with Cornish both inside and outside the classroom.
The Go Cornish programme is supported by Cornwall Council as part of its ‘Creative Manifesto’, which aims to develop creative industries in Cornwall, with the Cornish language being an important part Cornwall’s identity and cultural life. Kate Evan-Hughes, Director of Education at Cornwall Council, commented: “Inspiring children and young people to feel connected to Cornwall is important for Cornwall’s future economic growth. The Go Cornish resources will support our development of the broader curriculum and, most importantly, make language learning fun!” Tamsin Lamb, Education Lead at Crofty Multi Academy Trust, was similarly enthusiastic about the programme: “Go Cornish is an exciting project, that I’m sure many schools would be interested in. An appreciation of our Cornish culture and language can be a gateway to the wider world, and deepens an understanding of the importance of culture and language to others.”
Those at today’s launch event will be transported to the AMATA Theatre in a bespoke Go Cornish branded double decker bus (created in partnership with First Kernow), and treated to a lively demonstration of the Go Cornish programme from local primary school children who have already been trialling some of the resources and activities. There will be pupils from Threemilestone Primary School, Coads Green Primary School, St Francis CofE Primary School, Shortlanesend School and Treloweth Primary School singing Cornish songs, taking part in Cornish language and cross curricular learning activities, and showcasing their Cornish language craft projects and school signage. There will also be presentations from Will Coleman, Artistic Director of Golden Tree.
To find out more about Go Cornish for Primary Schools and the other Cornish language tools available for learners of all ages, go to: https://gocornish.org/. Having signed up their schools for Go Cornish, teachers will be invited to a Welcome CPD Session to unpack the programme in full. They will then be given access to the Go Cornish Portal, which is packed full of professionally designed PowerPoints, fantastic lesson plans, phrasebooks and Cornish language games and activities. Pupils play an important role in the programme through the ‘Kryw Kernewek’ (Cornish Crew). This is light touch at the Bronze level but grows with the schools as they progress through the awards.
Will Coleman, Artistic Director of Golden Tree Productions said: ‘Gwren ni dalleth dhe omlowenhe gans Kernewek!’ (Let’s start having fun with Cornish”!)