Blog: Our #WellGood work in Education

For the past 5 years, between October and July, the team at Shaper/Caper transform into our #wellgood personas. Smokzey, Nicotine Minaj and Tariana Grande tour to 116 primary schools visiting over 3000 children every year.

In partnership with NHS Tayside, Shaper/Caper deliver ‘Well Good’, our smoking awareness workshop for P6 and P7 students across Dundee, Angus, Perth and Kinross. Prior to our 5 year delivery, Artistic Director Tommy and Executive Director Yolanda, portrayed as Taylor Not so Swift and Kanye Breathe, have been performing fabulous shows for our student audience and sharing well-informed facts about smoking and traditional cigarettes since 2010! That’s a lot of children reached!

The delivery of important health and wellbeing information through the medium of dance, drama and the performing arts has shown us the importance of creative learning within the education system. Every school we tour to is not only achieving Curriculum for Excellence aims, but they are also getting the experience of working in creative ways, learning through action, performance and art. The Well Good Project has shown incredibly positive impacts on school after school. Not only are the students learning through this performative experience, but the class teachers are witnessing different creative approaches in the delivery of health and well-being information.

One school showing the love for a smoke free Scotland 2034!

“I never expected every single student to be so involved and engaged throughout the whole day”. - Class Teacher after Well Good

One stand out student for us was Harper McBride, a young P7 who helped shape our Well Good Project from the moment we entered his school. Harper pitched to us the introduction of a new character, Phlegminem. 3 years later, Phlegminem is still a major part of the project today.

Harper McBride

Shaper/Caper was so impressed with Harper and his incredible creativity and maturity that we invited him to attend PowWow, a showcase of films made by young people we were working with. We then recently got in touch again to invite him to work on another project of ours, Ctrl_Shft. Thanks to support from the Young Start Fund, we were able to support Harper in the development and creation of his very own dance film

Harper pitched his ideas during the summer of 2019 and we began to work together to develop his film. Guiding him from the early stages of story-boarding and planning, to choreographing and rehearsing with dancers, to filming in multiple locations across Dundee, and finally in post-production with editing and music.

We have really enjoyed this creative journey with Harper and being able to give him the experience of having an idea and seeing it manifest into a professional dance film. Check out Haper’s YouTube channel where he shares his own musical creation - TrippBuilds.

Filming on location with Harper and his friends.

Below, Harper’s parents discuss the impact Shaper/Caper have had on Harper’s life so far:

“As Harper’s parents we can’t thank Shaper/Caper enough for their encouragement and support for children like Harper. He has always been creative and sometimes there is not as much opportunity for outlets as there is for football and traditional sports. This is where Shaper/Caper come into play. By enabling Harper to use his own visions and encouraging him, he in turn has been able to pass this on and help others just like him to take part not just in this project but have enthusiasm for any future projects. Harper has a never-ending list of creative ideas and is full of encouragement for others to be able to showcase and get involved. Shaper/Caper help Harper realise these possibilities and we are grateful for this. So far Harper is writing a book, publishing a comic, writing and producing an album and making creative projects with Shaper/Caper, which is fun and insightful.”

As part of my role within Shaper/Caper, this is what I enjoy the most, meeting creative individuals every single day and allowing them to immerse themselves within the arts during school. Then being able to provide opportunities to jump back into this exciting and creative world time and time again to explore their own ideas and ambitions. If we can keep providing opportunities to inspire children through the creative work we do in education then the Arts will continue to thrive and grow for generations to come.

Students of St. Peter and Paul’s RC Primary School excited for their performance!

Huge thanks to NHS Tayside!