Support for Community Arts is a key element of our work with the wider community and supports our charitable objectives

Past projects include supporting pupils from Bulmershe School to go to Edinburgh to premier their play, ‘The Emperor’s Fool’ at the Fringe. We also funded High Close pupils to work with a local potter to create a tree mural to adorn their school wall.

More recently we have formed partnerships with Foundry College, St Crispin’s and Maiden Erlegh schools. At these schools our funding has been spent on a mosaic wall memorial, performing arts, pottery and photographic equipment as well as supporting individual pupils with music lessons.

This year we are continuing to work with St Crispin’s and Maiden Erlegh secondary schools but also widening our support to include local primary schools. The schools were all contacted and invited to bid for funding for this year. We received seven applications which have been shortlisted down to four.

This is how those four schools used the Society's funding:

Floreat Montague Park held a highly successful African drumming workshop in September. Every child in Y2 to Y6 participated.

Farley Hill  Primary School commissioned a local artist to work with all children across the school for two weeks to create a tree mural - see image on the right. 

Earley St Peter’s C/E Primary School used the money to develop an outdoor music area for the children. An outdoor ‘music frame‘ for storing instruments has been purchased, a music wall set up and sets of instruments are in the process of being bought. All children will have access to the area.

At Hawthorns Primary School the funding has been used to support the provision of music tuition for 64 Y4 children. They have been learning to play the ‘dood’, a woodwind instrument which acts as a stepping stone between the recorder and clarinet. 

The Society has also funded Wokingham Youth Theatre to enable it to extend its weekly drama classes to include children from a  wide variety of family backgrounds. As well as developing theatre skills and teamwork, the group aims to promote  a sense of responsibility, respect for others and self confidence.