About Room 17
CREATIVITY WITHOUT LIMITS
Room 17 is a new community hub based on the Allerton CE Primary School site seeking to offer a wide variety of arts and creative activities and opportunities for community members of all ages.
It is inspired by a belief that arts and creativity do and can play a role in supporting children, young people and communities to flourish. It has been designed to meet the needs and desires of LS17, a vibrant, dynamic and diverse community.
It celebrated its official opening in November 2024 with taster workshops for families and community members, performances from children and young people and visiting arts organisations.
Quality is central to the ambitions and delivery of Room 17, drawing on principles from previous national research and local experience, that embed participatory practice, community collaboration and youth voice. We value the process and the product, lived experience and professional skills.
Our quality principles will include:
- AMBITION AND RISK-TAKING – everyone challenges themselves
- INTEGRITY AND AUTHENTICITY – the work is honest and reflects the ideas of the people who are making it
- COLLABORATIVE OWNERSHIP – all those involved influence decision-making
- PRODUCTION VALUES – well produced and presented to a high standard
- INSPIRES – curiosity, engagement, conversations
- ASPIRATIONAL – supporting people to grow and take next steps towards longer term development
- ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIBLE – being kind to people and planet
BUILDING QUALITY
Room 17 will develop an evaluation framework, undertake regular community consultation and ensure community and youth voice influence its decision-making. We will develop an organisational understanding of what quality means to us, refining our principles collaboratively and overtime. We will also work with academics and critical friends to support our enquiry and evolution of practice and quality over time.
BRAND ACTIVATION
Room 17 logo and brand activitation has been co-designed with school children, final year design students at Leeds Beckett University, community and staff members. The Youth Action Group develop a toolkit to get the word out, whilst Year 4 children visited the university where they used stencilling and RISO printing during workshops led by university students to create a Room 17 Exhibition.
The Exhibition was displayed during Room 17’s official launch.
FOOD AND COMMUNITY
Room 17 has initiatives to support local families and residents affected by the cost of living crisis and celebrating the diverse cultures in our community.
BAGEL BREAKFASTS
A breakfast club offering free to all children at Allerton CE Primary school through the National School Breakfast Partnership and local sponsors. Bagel Breakfast positively impacts attendance, punctuality and readiness to learn. And the children love them.
BAGEL BUDDIES
Volunteer children, parents and staff prepare and serve the bagels every day.
NOURISH
A weekly food pantry open to all school families with a universal offer aimed to eliminate stigma with its emphasis on reducing food waste and combating food insecurity.
YOUTH ACTION GROUP
with children and young people aged 10-14 yrs
The group comprising of current and former pupils now at high school have been meeting to help Room 17 co-design its creative direction.
They are now preparing to deliver workshops for their peers.
CREATIVITY
Room 17 is expanding the work and reach of the school’s established and strong track record of delivering high quality creative activities and arts programmes. Room 17 enables family members and residents to benefit from these activities, working with local artists and arts organisations across many different artforms.
ROOTS AND ROUTES
(with environmental responsibility)
In partnership with Balbir Singh Dance Company
A collaborative initiative exploring how nature shapes creative identity, guiding individuals on a journey of self-discovery through artistic exploration.
The project is a comprehensive two year creative learning endeavour crafted to immerse children in the subjects of nature, climate, wellbeing, and their impact on the world around them. Through guided walks and immersive workshops, Roots and Routes encourages children to reconnect with both their personal history and their artistic voice. We step outside to step within – finding inspiration, resilience, identity, and the stories waiting to be told.
BONES, BODIES AND BEATS
(supporting health and wellbeing)
In partnership with Balbir Singh Dance Company & Thackray Museum of Medicine Bones, Bodies and Beats is a creative exploration of what it means to be human from different perspectives. It offers a creative learning endeavour crafted to
immerse children and their families in the realms of health, nutrition, mental well-being and their impact on the world through artistic expression.
SO WHAT’S NEXT?
Next year there will be more opportunities for families, adults and young people to get together in Room 17 to cook and get creative.
It’s going to be a lot of fun!
Read about the start of Room 17 in the article below from the school celebration book 2024-25