Testimonials
She bugs into your creativity, takes you out of your comfort zone…
Parent during an Early Years Creative project ‘Filling Buckets and Lighting Fires’
annA rydeR has for many years been musical adviser, collaborator and general inspiration for Drums for Schools and she’s the major creative influence behind the Sound Children range. annA is an artistic all-rounder and that rarest and most valuable of creatures, a practical idealist, who never loses sight of the educational and artistic essentials. She’s unfailingly professional and a delight to work with…
Andy Gwatkin – CEO of Drums For Schools and Sound Children
(musical instruments for education)
I love working with Anna – As a dancer/choreographer I have collaborated regularly with her for over ten years. She is a truly amazing musician and composer and totally unique. Her ability to create the space for people of all ages and abilities to surprise and express themselves through music is awesome.
Lee Fisher – Head of Creative Learning Birmingham Royal Ballet and Artistic Director of Freefall Dance Company and former soloist at Birmingham Royal Ballet
annA rydeR was chosen as creative practitioner because she is an excellent facilitator with experience of improving outdoor creative learning in the early years. She has the added advantage of being a fantastic musician able to inspire and delight both adults and young children.
Joy Lambell: Teacher
at Northfields and Humberstone Children’s Centre, Leicester
Anna is a really gifted musician and collaborating partner in the dance studio, and in performance. Not only does Anna have an extraordinary versatility, often playing 3 or more instruments simultaneously, she is highly inventive as a partner, able to respond in the moment and open to playing with a wide range of time signatures, rhythms and tempos. I love her playfulness and her sensitivity to the moment. I have rarely had the pleasure of working with such a generous and talented performer – she is a great accompanist and performing artist.
Professor Sarah Whatley BA PhD,
Professor of Dance and Director: Centre for Dance Research (C-DaRE)
Anna Ryder has made a significant contribution to our Change School Creative Journey, helping us to become finalists in 2010 for the Children and young People Now Award in respect of ‘Filling Buckets and Lighting Fires’
Surestart Eyres Monsell and Gilmorton Children’s Centre Leicester (During a project delivered in 2010 with other artists Barbara Jones, Louise Bardgett and Matt Shaw)
This was a masterclass in good EYSF practice…the planning and delivery and reflection outshone any training course and gave practitioners a first hand professional development opportunity.
Children centre teacher felt this model delivered the EYFS in its entirety.
From the same project an Early Years practitioner commented:
Children’s relationships and communication skills developed. Children were interacting and co-operating with each other in ways that didn’t usually happen.
You are definitely an influence on our lives and very much a star illuminating the dark skies.
Parent (and child) during a project called ‘stuFF haPPens’ at West End Children’s Centre
...you have the ability to inspire and make a difference. Many people find it difficult to engage in standard courses. Your courses always had a feel of ‘the pied piper’ about them. They appealed to children and parents on an adventurous level and got them joining in without realising it!
Grand-parent during the project ‘Urban Earth’ at a Children’s Centre
Simple ideas made genius things happen!
Practitioner after a short project called ‘sTuff going on in heRe’ at Home Farm Pre-school Leicester to help with ideas for outdoors