KARVAN works with schools on SMSC, PSHE and Citizenship agendas offering bespoke workshops as well as a suite of designed workshops for ‘Living in The Wider World’ some of which appear below.
Overall, the workshops foster and encourage:
- understanding and appreciation of the wide range of cultural influences that have shaped their own heritage and that of others
- understanding and appreciation of the range of different cultures in the school and further afield as an essential element of their preparation for life in modern Britain
- ability to recognise, and value, the things we share in common across cultural, religious, ethnic and socio-economic communities (OFSTED, 2019)
Around the World in Wood takes you on a global adventure as you learn about the world’s forests and the ways in which wood is used around the world. You get to touch and examine different kinds of wood from around the world as you spin the wooden compass to see where in the world you will travel to and which wood you will learn about. Around the World in Wood uses a series of literary extracts focussed on forests and the use of wood in the world so you get to discover some new world literature reading material too! Related activities explore the effects of climate change on the forests of the world, how wood is ethically sourced and how it has historically travelled around the world through trade and botany. The workshop looks to foster deeper understanding of the world’s wood trade as well as encouragement to read world literature in translation and in the Englishes of the world. Suitable for primary and secondary pupils.
Around The World In 8 Objects is a workshop which looks at 8 objects through different subject areas and disciplines. You will learn about the world, its people, traditions and cultures through these 8 objects. Around The World In 8 Objects uses commonly found items across a variety of societies as well as items which are culture specific. Typically, the workshop involves touching, seeing, hearing the various items in their cultural and social contexts with the option of making and crafting alongside. You might explore world fabrics through languages, arts, science and geography. Hold a beautifully crafted statue in your hand and discover the cosmic Lord Shiva through art, music and science. Explore Arabic and Persian calligraphy through history, literature and architecture or celebrate the world’s great rivers through music, science and geography. The workshop looks to deepen understanding of the world’s interconnectedness and in turn, foster greater cultural understanding and global citizenship. Suitable for primary and secondary pupils.
Around the World in (Many) Englishes is a workshop that explores the different Englishes of the world. Introducing the idea that there are MANY Englishes in the world today, the workshop uses literary texts and audio material to explore where, what and how the Englishes of the world are spoken. The workshop looks to deconstruct the idea that there is one uniform, Standard ‘English’ (in the UK as well as in the wider world) and thus fosters greater linguistic and cultural understanding with the further aim of fostering mutual respect and enhanced global citizenship ideals. Suitable for secondary pupils.
“Emma’s knowledge of World Englishes is incredible, reflected not only in the wonderful short stories that she introduces but also in her passion and genuine desire to increase everyone’s appreciation and understanding of these works. Unusually, she is able to change the pitch of her workshop ensuring that all the students remain totally engaged and stimulated. These sessions broaden (often narrow) perspectives, allow reflection on a range of cultural ideas and challenges and encourage the students to end the day with a desire to research and read more. Thank you, Emma.” Jane Jonsson, The Abbey, Reading, UK.
Reading British Values is a text-based workshop that focusses on a series of extracts taken from novels, short stories and poems all of which engage with the theme of ‘British Values’. The texts span the 1980s through to the present day and the workshop looks to explore how these texts ‘represent’ and challenge ideas of Britishness as well as how the texts chart changing ideas of Britishness and British Values. The workshop aims to explore how Values are intimately linked to culture and society and thus change and evolve in tandem with socio-cultural change. With this focus, the workshop considers citizenship, identity and ‘ideas of belonging’ as well as fostering critical reading and individual response. Suitable for secondary pupils.
Other Words, Other Cultures, Other Feelings is a workshop which looks at how ideas, feelings and states of being are expressed in societies and cultures around the world linguistically. The workshop challenges ideas of ‘universality of experience’ by looking at how some cultures have words for particular experiences or states of being whilst other cultures do not have similar terms or phrases to express the same. Did you know that there is just one word in Icelandic that sums up the act (and associated feelings) of ‘jumping into puddles’ whilst Japanese has just one word for the act of ‘buying books but not reading them, allowing them to pile up, unread, sitting on shelves or on the floor’? The workshop’s activities look to foster open-mindedness around issues of language and identity as well as fostering mutual respect and understanding for languages other than English. Suitable for primary and secondary pupils.
Celebrating Script is a workshop centred on discovery of language scripts from around the world. It begins by looking at the basics of written communication – the idea that a string of letters, pronounced in a certain manner represents something (object, movement, state of being, emotion, etc) and moves towards discovery of scripts from around the world. How does it feel to write from right to left? How do you form letters that are not Roman script? Celebrating Script offers opportunities to learn and practice different scripts from a variety of language systems. Related activities include ideas of transliteration and the written representation of non-Roman script letters (and their respective sound) into Roman letters/alphabet. The workshop looks to foster deeper understanding of language systems around the world as well as promoting mutual respect and understanding for cultural/language systems that are often posited as deeply ‘Other’. Participants who can write in several scripts are warmly welcomed! Suitable for primary and secondary pupils.
– karvan –
‘a group of people travelling together’
Opportunities for CPD / Training
Worldlits.com offers new, innovative strategies for the teaching of world literature and World Englishes literature. The workshops have been well received on BEd and PGCE courses in the UK exploring curricula, teacher training courses in universities in Europe and with NAAE (National Association of Advisers in English) in the UK.
The workshops ask questions such as: What do we mean by ‘world literature’? What are the differences between ‘diaspora literature’, ‘world literature in translation’ and ‘World Englishes literature’?
Training half day and full day workshops are available to help explore these questions around World Literature and an example full day workshop investigates how we define ‘world literatures’ and also offers teaching approaches to delivering World Englishes texts in the classroom including example resources.
Worldlits.com uses creative approaches and pedagogy in exploring world and multicultural literatures to help answer questions such as: what are some of the barriers that inhibit full engagement with world and multicultural literatures? Creative and participatory consultation methods allow for real engagement and aim to foster a safe space in which such issues are debated.
‘Printing The World’ – words and gelli printing at Bolton Gate Farm, café and arts, May 2023
https://www.boltongatefarm.co.uk/arts
Get in touch using the contact form for questions, queries or to book an event.
The KARVAN facilitator holds DBS (disclosure), public liability insurance, is Learning and Teaching qualified (MA & FHEA) as well as: TEFL, Adv TEFL, BSc, MA (English Studies), PhD (English Studies)
Worldlits.com 