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Young people get drink aware through
dance
The consequences of binge drinking were made
clear to 150 young people on Friday (November 16th), during a night of
dance at Robin Park Indoor Sports Centre.
Arcane Dance
www.arcanedance.co.uk and five local youth groups produced a
series of lively routines exploring the issue.
The performances were the end product of the ‘Ten Green Bottles’
project, which has seen Arcane Dance run youth workshops across the
borough for the past seven weeks, examining the ways binge drinking can
put you at risk.
Shevington Youth Club MC group the Revolution Crew kicked off the
performance evening before youth groups from Norley, Shevington, Marsh
Green, Scholes and Tyldesley delivered routines to music by the likes of
Groove Armada and Nelly.
The evening rounded off with Arcane performing Ten Green Bottles, which
tracks a group of young people on a boozy night out. Spurred on by the
rhythms of R&B and chart music, the dancers’ alcohol fuelled energy
quickly turned from giggly to wobbly and after exploding into violence,
the girls were left nursing hangovers when the upbeat soundtrack came to
a halt.
Alicia Lowery, 13, from Marsh Green, said: “I know people who have ended
up in hospital by drinking too much. This project has taught us the
effects alcohol can have on you and why it’s important not to don’t
drink loads! I’ve really enjoyed working with the dance company and the
different styles of dancing we’ve been learning.”
Arcane are company in residence at The Brindley in Runcorn and are
currently touring the Ten Green Bottles, was originally choreographed by
Claire Pring, across the region. Since October, Arcane have been running
contemporary dance and physical theatre sessions at Norley Community
Centre, Shevington Youth Club and Sunshine House in Scholes. In
addition, the company delivered one off workshops to 14 groups of young
people in other areas including Aspull, Standish, Higher Folds,
Westleigh and Ince.
Arcane Dance Artistic Director Joanna Rhodes said: “It’s been really
nice working here in Wigan. The young people have been really open and
they’ve had a lot to say about things like the role the media plays in
selling alcohol and how they feel about 24 hour licensing.
“We are not here to preach. We raise awareness about the potential
consequences of binge drinking and the risky scenarios you might land
yourself in. Your drink might get spiked, you could get robbed or you
could get in a taxi that isn’t a taxi. Hopefully, the project has made
the young people think a little bit about how vulnerable it is to be in
these situations.”
Ten Green Bottles has been organised by Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust
with support and funding from Wigan Council Children and Young People's
Services Youth Service, Ashton, Leigh and Wigan Primary Care Trust,
Scholes Practitioners Forum, Groundwork, One Voice Residents
Association, Shevington Youth Club Management Committee, Shevington
Township Community Safety Group, PAYP, Fred Longworth High School and
Norley Community Centre.
The youth groups will now take part in a number of follow up activities
to further explore the issues that have been raised on the project.
Wigan Leisure & Culture Trust Dance Project Co-ordinator Vicky Thomas
says: “Ten Green Bottles has brought together many partners who work
with young people to introduce the risks of binge drinking in an
interesting and creative way. Hopefully it has triggered participants to
think about the consequences binge drinking can have, as well as
thinking more generally about healthy lifestyles and taking part in
physical activity. The event on at Robin Park was a real success,
demonstrating an enormous amount of commitment, teamwork and mutual
support from the young people.”
-ends-
Notes to Editors
• For further information please contact Kennedy Stewart, Young People’s
Press Officer at Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust, on (01942) 486927.
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