The Helen Foundation

05/04/2026

Sweet! A supremely happy performance, clearly: our lovely trio of Honorary Patrons last week celebrated the 25 years since performing their first time at the O2 Academy Brixton in London. Reports say it was just wonderful to share the happiness!

12/03/2026

Meanwhile on Monday, Year 8s …. not just African themed printing with Simon Ripley (Double Elephant) but ALSO (simultaneously and equally ensured to get a good share of the allocated THF £800 funding, those same Year 8s were drumming and later performing in public on Djembe drums🪘🪘 and other African percussion instruments. The latter workshop was timed in perfectly by Allan Kerr from Shumba Arts to produce a superbly well-rounded day of art & music for a large year-group of 120 pupils.

Thank you to both music and art departments for perfect planning, helped by Daisi Arts, and to 120 students claiming their rightful stake in a thoroughly 🎭 Arts-ful 🎭 day!!

12/03/2026

So thrilled to have funded, on Helen’s 45th birthdate, this fabulous Double Elephant Print Workshop in the very school that Helen attended and loved. Well done students, staff, and Simon from Double Elephant in Exeter - AND, equally, that fantastic SIMULTANEOUS djembe drum tuition session from the mighty , involving extra percussion instruments and tying in with Simon’s DOUBLE ELEPHANT African art & printing session. 👏👏👏

Hope that the final performance went well? Comments anyone?

Shumba Arts

10/02/2026

A brilliant post from a very recent art workshop in Newton Abbot, led by Claire Jo Harmer a lively professional artist & experienced teacher - and what’s more she is Daisi registered which has become a perfect fit for THF funding, given all the stipulations on DBS, insurances and trusted practitioners that we and schools hold high in esteem.

Here’s the school’s take on the workshop day offered by Claire: we are SO happy that it was as excellent as we (and Daisi Arts) had promised!! 🤩

🎨This term, Years 4 and 5 had local artist joining them for a painting skills session.
🖌️Claire brought along her fantastic tools and showed us how to make and mix water colours properly.
🫟We loved using her resources and enjoyed practising with different brushes and wax before creating our own stories with creatures!
🤗It was an amazing day and we're so looking forward to hopefully working with Claire in the future.
☺️We are also incredibly grateful to The Helen Foundation who have enabled this experience to happen with their generous full funding.
Daisi also, which drew up the needed contracts between school, the artist Claire, and the funding charity,

10/02/2026

Can’t wait for Thursday evening- the standard of this school in Teignbridge is just SO high!
Try to get there if you can!

Don’t forget to join us for Live Sessions, our music concert taking place on Thursday at 6pm in the College Hall. This student‑led event features a fantastic mix of solo and small‑ensemble performances, all chosen by the performers themselves.
Free tickets are available via Ticket Source — please use the link below to reserve your seats. We’d love to see you there!
https://bit.ly/4sRzLO5

10/02/2026

Could be just the ticket for a musical youngster! The education team for this orchestra have a brilliant track record, including in relation to local music festivals. Ask Teignbridge council for any possible bursaries to help….

Calling secondary school teachers, parents, and carers! Do you know a student looking to gain work experience in an arts organisation? We’re on the lookout for brilliant young people (in years 10-13) who want to learn what it’s like to work behind the scenes at one of the UK’s favourite orchestras!

Deadline to submit your application form: Wednesday 4 March, 10am. Full details and how to apply here… https://bsolive.com/projects/work-experience/



Arts Council England

10/02/2026

No need to book, says Sam Lock, the enthudisstic and creative leader of these workshops over the upcoming halfterm. It all sounds exciting - and knowing Sam, it will be maximum energy and a lot of fun! Those in the Teignmouth area, check this out as halfterm also promises to be more of the same, weatherwise but maybe colder! 💦 🥶

✨ FREE Creative Workshops – February Half Term ✨

This half term we’re opening the doors at The Makery @ TAAG for free creative workshops, running Monday–Friday, 16–20 February, 10–4pm.

These sessions are open to all ages and abilities – children, adults, families, individuals… everyone is welcome. No experience needed, just come as you are.

A relaxed, friendly, creative space where everyone can make, explore and enjoy being creative together.
All sessions are free (donations welcome if you’re able).

📍 The Makery @ TAAG, 8 Northumberland Place, Teignmouth TQ14 8DD
📧 [email protected]

Please share and help spread the word 💛

09/02/2026

Remember this wonderful Helen Foundation (The Helen Foundation) recycled art workshop, reported earlier in the term by Starcross Primary? Back then, in January, it was glue and drills, textiles and plastic bottles … and Year 5 +6 youngsters getting enthused by the highly skilled and Daisi-accredited Devon artist Alastair Lambert, who was invited to co-ordinate and mentor the workshop.
The completed school logo exemplifies all the enterprise and fun ideas the youngsters could muster, and is now proudly on display in the main entrance of the school!
The headteacher writes: “February 2026 -
The incredible recreation of our school logo, created from recycled materials by Year 5 & 6, alongside excellent visiting artist 👩‍🎨 Alistair Lambert, has now taken pride of place in the main entrance to our school.
Our huge thanks are due to such an inspiring creative & sculptor as Alastair. “

Thanks also are due for its major funding input for this project, to Teignbridge arts charity , www.thehelenfoundation.org.uk and, as always, to Daisi Arts for liaison and contracts negotiations, a lot of behind the scenes work.

14/10/2025

Bearnes Voluntary Primary School and Preschool

14/10/2025

BEARNES’ SURPRISE TEXTILES!
Bearnes Primary School in Newton Abbot, enjoyed a really successful workshop with Jess Carvill late in the summer. She worked with the children to make felt geodes. This involved layer upon layer of coloured wool rolled into good tight balls and soaked in soapy water so that the wool became felted and held together. There is always a moment of absolute magic in the sessions when the geode, whose outside is in dull monochrome, is cut in half. If the children have never seen this before, it is a "Wow!" moment for them.

The school wrote afterwards:
“We wanted to thank you and Annie for coming to see us on Friday and for such a fantastic workshop with Jess. The children had an amazing time exploring felt and creating the magical geodes. We are going to create a canvas containing their work as a lasting display and memory of the day. It was so lovely to get the whole school involved and to reach all students this year!”

11/10/2025

🎭 🎶 🎭 🎶 🎭 🎶 🎭 🎶 🎭

THE HELEN FOUNDATION ANNUAL OFFER
The Helen Foundation’s annual offer has been announced! State-funded schools in Teignbridge are invited to request, via Daisi, funding to subsidise arts workshops led by professional artists to give their young people an exceptional arts experience whether that be in music, dance, painting, ceramics, drama, felt-making, mosaic – the school decides, and the choice is very large. Primary schools may request £400 and secondary and special schools £800. We work very closely with Daisi, the Devon arts charity, who organise the contracts with schools and who have a register of approved and certified professional artists, highly skilled in working with young people, whom they can call on.This is only made possible by the on-going support of our THF friends. Thank you to all of you.