Tue 20 Dec 2022
Christmas, and Circus, and Trains….Oh My!
December saw the Platform team collaborate on their biggest event yet – and, despite the circus theme, they weren’t clowning around!
On the 9th and 12th of December, Platform hosted a unique event for nearly 200 children, from EYFS to Year 6, from Coniston Primary School, bringing together rail education and Christmas celebrations in a truly unforgettable experience.
Ahead of the event, Emilie from the Platform team visited the school to deliver a pre-travel assembly to Years 2 to 6, and a pre-travel workshop to EYFS and Year 1. The sessions covered the key information students needed to know ahead of the trip, including learning about the yellow line, train speeds and stopping distances, level crossings, and electrification. The students listened, interacted, and participated brilliantly and the pre-travel learning that had taken place was evident across the two travel days, with students demonstrating how safe they were able to be at all points of travel.
Pulling together a number of organisations, the team then arranged for every child from the school to take a train trip from Filton Abbey Wood to Bristol Temple Meads. On arrival, the children – split into seven groups across four sessions – walked down to The Loco Klub, a community arts venue set in the original, underground ash-pits of the station.
The festive feelings were high on entry to the venue, with the warm lighting bringing the atmospheric tunnels to light, and the Christmas music blaring joyously from the speakers.
Seats taken in the tunnels, the fun really got started, with a truly spectacular acrobatic performance by The Invisible Circus’s Cirque Da Purr. The pair produced a stunning routine – in the guise of The Candy Twins – and had the children roaring with delight.
Following on from this, students were given some time to get creative themselves, with each child decorating a bespoke, wooden Christmas train to take home with them. Each child also decorated a bag with a Christmas scene, before placing their train decorations in them.
Another circus performer was waiting in the wings for the second part of the event and the students were promptly treated to Act 2. This part was performed by Em Puddy in Friday’s sessions (who had the students watching on jubilantly as she juggled knives over their teacher’s heads), and Darryl J Carrington in Monday’s sessions, whose hilarious act involved some competitive juggling from the teachers.
Whilst the second acts were performing, the Platform team were busy filling up the children’s bags with Christmas goodies, including a piece of circus equipment and a copy of our favourite children’s rail safety story: There and Back by Bessie Matthews. These were then returned to the children, wrapped up, so the surprises could be kept for Christmas Day.
Alan Walters – Headteacher at Coniston Primary School – said, “The team at Platform have been outstanding from start to finish. Emilie provided a brilliant and informative assembly, full of enthusiasm and fun. The safety messages were put across really well and that was evident when we were stood with 60 children on the platform. I can’t express the importance of this trip to the children of Coniston. The vast majority have never been on a train and some may never go on one again. However, the two days were well organised and the children had such a special time that they will remember this experience forever. The circus acts, the Christmas crafts and the presents added to a truly wonderful experience and I have never seen so much enjoyment on a school trip. Thank you to everyone involved. This means so much to my children and the impact this will have is huge!”
Sam Patching – The Loco Klub’s Programming Manager – said, “We rarely hold shows catered to children here at The Loco Klub, but this proved how much of a glowing success they can be. The hour-long sessions had singing, screams of excitement and a whole load of laughter – from pupils and teachers alike! It was touching to see how each child received a goodie bag of gifts at the end. This really felt like it added to the experience of their visit and gave each class a way to discuss the show with their family at home.
Becky Boucherat – Project and Development Manager for The Invisible Circus – said, “We absolutely loved working with Platform Rail, and hosting the school groups at The Loco Klub. The team were brilliantly communicative and efficient. It gave four performers the opportunity to feel more involved with local school communities – they thoroughly enjoyed performing to kids who gave them such great and animated reactions! Additionally, they received fair pay for their work and time, which is really important for the creative industries.”
The whole event was provided for the school free of charge, thanks to generous funding from The Community Rail Network’s Community Rail Development Fund, and complimentary travel, for rail education purposes, from GWR.
