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Lowton Teenagers take Off the Wall Title
Lowton youngsters are celebrating winning an
art competition run by a national youth agency.
‘Off the Wall 2007’ encouraged young people to brighten up their youth
club by being creative. Lowton Youth Club won 1st prize and £250 in the
competition run by Clubs for Young People.
Where there is art, controversy is often close by. So it’s perhaps
unsurprising that the mural that won the Lowton teenagers the contest
caused much debate.
Youth Worker Merry Macdonald explains: “When we first suggested taking
part in the competition, way back in July last year, the young people
were excited and intent on winning.
“They even wanted to bring in young people who had no links with the
club that they knew were good at art. But the competitiveness was
bringing out the worst in everyone so we decided to put the project to
one side.”
With a large board already bought for the purpose of entering the
competition, however, Chris Murphy, a young volunteer with ‘Everybody
Counts’, Lowton Youth Club’s inclusive group for young people with
disabilities and learning difficulties, began designing a new sign for
the club.
Merry adds: “Chris is a good artist and he drew some brilliant cartoon
faces and slogans on the board. Other young people joined in, adding
bits and colouring in for Chris. The slogans caused quite a lot of
controversy though.
“After much debate we agreed to turn the board over and start again. We
also brought a professional artist in to help the young people and to
ensure everyone got the opportunity to participate. Every group and
young person who came to the club during the project got the opportunity
to get involved.”
Clubs entering ‘Off the Wall 2007’ were asked to keep a photo or video
diary of their progress to help the judges decide which piece of work
was most worthy of winning the competition.
Miranda Bailey, Development Manager at Clubs for Young People, said:
“The entries for this year’s competition were judged by a panel of
experts who took into account the quality and content of all the murals
produced and the activity diaries that recorded how the project
progressed from start to finish.
“The winning entry from Lowton Youth Club in Leigh, Lancashire included
a video diary showing the young people’s involvement in the development
stage and the fun they had creating the finished mural. Their entry was
highly recommended by the panel for its involvement of young people at
all stages and the finished result.”
Lowton Youth Club is a voluntary club supported by the Wigan Council
Children and Young People’s Services (CYPS) Youth Service.
The art competition victory is yet another success for the club which
has established itself as a key part of the local community through
participation in a variety of projects at its base on Newton Road and in
many high profile events across the borough and beyond.
Youth Worker Merry MacDonald said: “I can’t express the immense pleasure
and pride I felt when Clubs for Young People rang to inform me that we
had won. It is demonstrates just how talented our members are and it is
reward for the hard work the young people, paid workers and community
volunteers have put in to developing the club.”
-ends-
Photo opportunity
• Members of Lowton Youth Club and their leaders are available to be
photographed with the winning mural. To arrange a photo opportunity
please contact Kennedy Stewart, Young People’s Press Officer at Wigan
Leisure and Culture Trust, on (01942) 486927.
Further information
• For further information on Clubs for Young People visit:
www.clubsforyoungpeople.org.uk
• For further information about this press release please contact
Kennedy Stewart on (01942) 486927.
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