Table of contents for September 2025 in Ink Pellet

Both of my boys were part of the ‘Covid’ generation when it came to studying and the unusual circumstances around exams during those years, so it’s now a few years since I had to endure the stress of ‘results day’ in August. However, following the latest set of annual results, I have had a couple of experiences relayed to me about the power of inspiring teachers to ensure their cohort not only achieved their best possible outcomes, but were determined to ensure everyone passed. Not surprising perhaps, but both teach creative arts subjects and left lasting impressions on their students. I have fond recollections of an inspiring art teacher too – although I’d still like to know the whereabouts of my impression of a Cézanne! Creative arts subjects enrich and…

CHOOSE YOUR OWN EVOLUTION by Jules Howard and Gordy Wright Published by Nosy Crow Ltd. This colourful, imaginative book aims to introduce Key Stage 2 readers to the concept of evolution. It chattily introduces animals of all shapes, sizes and types from tiny micro-bugs to tigers. Some are still with us. Others are extinct. I was very intrigued by, for example, the titanboa – a creature which was new to me. The largest snake ever discovered, fossils were found in northeast Columbia in the early 2000s. It could grow to 42 feet. I read this almost quartosized book sequentially, but actually it’s supposed to be interactive so you can follow the evolutionary path of your chosen creature by page hopping and choosing its destiny. It works reasonably well. Gordy Wright’s…

NATIONAL THEATRE EXPANDS SCHOOLS PROGRAMME The National Theatre has announced its autumn programme for schools across the UK, deepening its work with young people to support its continued ambition to reach every child in the UK before they leave school. Over 90% of state secondary schools are already signed up to access the National Theatre Collection to stream world-leading theatre directly in their classrooms. Expected to reach over 1.4 million students across the UK over the next year, this varied programme of national tours, participatory activity, expert toolkits and digital resources aims to break down barriers to access to the arts in schools and ensure that young people nationwide, many experiencing theatre for the first time, can engage with world-class drama as they learn. Over the past year, the National…

OPEN DAYS UNDERGRADUATE PERFORMANCE OPEN DAYS AT MOUNTVIEW Join one of Mountview’s Undergraduate Performance Open Days and gain an insight into the life of a CertHE or BA performance student. Welcome Talk from Principal Sally Ann Gritton A bespoke tour of Mountview’s purpose-built facilities, including over 20 studios and two theatre spaces Q&A Session with staff and alumni, where attendees can ask questions about everything from student life to mental health and wellbeing Chat to current students and alumni, find out what it’s like to be a student at Mountview and make the right decision about your next step Book your spot at Mountview.org.uk www.mountview.org.uk/whats-on/show/open-days-autumn-2025 PERFORMERS COLLEGE Southend Road, Corringham, Essex SS17 8JS On campus (Essex) events and Open Days at Birmingham, Brighton, Essex and Manchester give you a chance…

The Brown Ranger – Chichester Festival Theatre, The Nest Power Rangers is an American media franchise which originated in Japan in 1993. It proposes the recruitment of a team of sassy, teenagers to fight super-human powers. Each “ranger” wears a distinctive colour coded uniform. But there isn’t a brown one and young, mixedrace Thomas (Ben Grant, who also wrote the piece), obsessed with Power Rangers, imagines himself as the Brown Ranger. Thus, we start in the midst of a child’s imaginative game, gradually moving to an account of the racism and issues Thomas contends with as he grows up. Grant is an accomplished and engaging actor He’s good at the gamey, imitative gesturing at the beginning as well as getting inside a troubled, puzzled child. And at the end he’s…

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