The Curiosity Chest
Bookings are now open for The Curiosity Chest – part of the Primary Arts programme presented by A New Direction!
The Curiosity Chest is a creative learning experience of curiosity, storytelling and discovery, building confident voices through oracy.
Participating schools receive:
- A performance (or experience) lasting around 1 hour, for all classes in one year group.
- An in-class workshop lasting 45 minutes to 1 hour, for each class in the same year group, that further explores the artform, themes and curriculum areas linked to the performance.
- A teacher twilight CPD session lasting 1 to 1.5 hours held in your school during the two weeks prior to the performance, to support preparation, whole-school engagement, and teacher and pupil learning.
- A range of resources to support communication and learning about the performance, including information for pupils, staff and families, and classroom activities.
- A box of creative materials worth around £250 to support creative classroom activities.
- Booklists linked to the programme curated by the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education.
- A set of books worth around £150 to support reading for pleasure linked to the programme
About The Curiosity Chest Show
Unearthed beneath your school, a mysterious chest has reappeared – weathered but intact, and filled with strange artefacts: sharks’ teeth, Krobo beads, time-traveling watches and bottled scents from lost worlds.
Believed to be the long-lost Curiosity Chest of 19th century explorer Frances Ann Potts, it arrives with a mission. Her father had urged her to explore the world, to know its people and to take pride in her ancestral roots. Now, your pupils can continue her legacy.
The Curiosity Chest is an immersive storytelling experience. Through live performance and discovery, pupils unlock imagination, become Collectors and celebrate the strange, the beautiful and the extraordinary
Key Stage / Year Groups:
- KS1, KS2 and SEND
SEND Show Adapations:
- Shorter duration for smaller groups, sensory exploration and a calm, supportive atmosphere.
About the Curiosity Chest pupil workshops
Following the performance, the adventure continues in the classroom. Led by the Collectors, the workshop invites students to become explorers, historians and storytellers, guiding a new generation in the art of noticing, collecting and wondering. Trained in interpreting oddities and sparking imagination, the Collectors support students in uncovering the chest’s secrets through drama, discussion and creative writing. Pupils investigate artefacts, ask bold questions, and create their own responses, poems, news reports and imaginative tales. This workshop ignites curiosity, celebrates the unusual, and empowers pupils to see the world differently and contribute to Frances Ann’s growing legacy as Collectors.
Relevant areas of the National Curriculum:
- English
- Writing and speaking,
- Wellbeing
- Developing a growth mindset
- Communication in speaking and listening
- History and cultural understanding
- PSHE
- British values
- Democracy
- Creativity
- Pupil voice.
Teacher twilight CPD
The CPD will allow teachers and support staff to explore artefacts, experience the activities their pupils will encounter, and gain practical techniques in drama, storytelling and creative writing. With a focus on inclusive, curiosity-driven learning, the session supports staff in embedding creative literacy across the curriculum for all learners.
This CPD can accommodate from 5 to 30 members of staff.
If you would like to find out more about The Curiosity Chest or the Primary Arts Programme please get in touch
Contact Us