TrustNEWS Item

Ref: tn_3105
Date: 21st April 2005

Youth Arts Challenge - A Celebration!

On Thursday 28^th April at Robin Park Arena, young people from across the borough have the opportunity to showcase various art projects that have helped breathe life into Wigan and Leigh’s communities over the last year.

Starting at 6pm and open to the general public, the Youth Arts Challenge Celebratory Event is also a chance for all the groups involved to share good practice and inspire new groups to apply for this year’s funding. The Youth Arts Challenge supported by Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust and financed using Manchester Airport’s district funding, helped to develop seven major community-based arts projects in 2004/05:

Wigan Scope – Serious Fun Together: Working with Wigan Pier Theatre Company created a fully integrated theatre company
Positive Futures – Vandalism 2 Art: Atherton based project to redevelop graffiti art in the local park
Duke of Edinburgh Award – Do You See What We Are Saying: Workshops with young people (disabled/non-disabled) to create a sign language video
Rafiki – Black and Minority Collage: A large-scale collage, became a key part of ‘Hate Crime Awareness Week’
Positive Futures – Book of Poems: Poem book created following creative writing workshops involving young asylum seekers
Shevington Youth Club – Building Positive Outlooks: Murals created to launch new youth club. Young people worked with elderly residents to create local communities’ views on the project
Borsdane Youth Group – Guess the Message: A drama production involving young people who created an issue-based performance relevant to their community.

Vicky Sellers, Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust’s Arts Development Officer, is full of praise for everyone involved in all of the projects over the last twelve months. “The Youth Arts Challenge Celebratory Event is a fantastic way to celebrate the young people's achievements and to showcase the diversity of art projects taking place across the borough,” says Vicky. “It is amazing to see the sense of achievement people from all walks of life feel when they have been involved in such fulfilling and inspiring projects. We hope the event will encourage other groups to apply for funding.”

One of the key beneficiaries of this year’s funding was the Shevington-based ‘Building Positive Outlooks’ project. Sue Worth who co-ordinated the project highlights the benefits that such projects have across the whole community. “The young people involved have learned to take great pride and ownership of the club through the art project. This one venture has lead to further activities such as the young people’s involvement in helping to mark Remembrance Day. The Trust’s support has been essential and Vicky really helped to drive our project forward from the very start.”Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust is now inviting applications for £500 –£1000 to help fund imaginative and challenging arts projects with young people in the borough for 2005/06. Information packs can be obtained at the event, to book a place please contact Vicky Sellers on 01942 488490 or at v.sellers@wlct.org.

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NOTES TO EDITORS:
For further information on this News Release please contact Chris Dunbar, PR Consultant, Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust on 01942 776719 or at c.dunbar@wlct.org.

PHOTO OPPORTUNITY:
Photographers are invited to photograph the projects attending the Youth Arts Challenge at Robin Park Arena on Thursday 28^th April. Photographers are asked to report to Vicky Sellers at 5.30pm

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