We have many reasons to feel proud – however the ‘Landmarks and Legends event’ on Saturday 31 Jan, at Grimsby Minster was really special.
It was the culmination of an eight-month partnership with Unseen Arts which saw a showcase event celebrating the children and young people’s heritage project that we had dreamed up and delivered as a collaborative together.
The process originally began with a pitch to Horizon Youth Zone’s Young People’s Development Group with our project selected for delivery alongside another one.
What developed between ourselves and Unseen Arts was a highly enjoyable path as we listened to young voices and in response, developed multiple opportunities for creative expression and skills development, across different strands – including animation, TV and film production, music production, movement and circus, play-devising and more.
These activities in different settings and with different groups over the past six months or so, have enabled 900 young people to build belief not only in their place but in themselves.
As all of this ‘creative empowerment’ came together today, where the young participants’ fantastic work was on display, topped off with a series of live performances – and we genuinely looked on proudly, with tears welling at their contributions and efforts.
On the day, it was brought home why this project was needed – it provided room to express, room to learn and grow, room to ‘get to know’ their place more, together with the understanding that the future can be in their hands.
A highlight was John Whitgift Academy’s group’s performance, which had been facilitated through participatory sessions in the school, from Lincolnshire’s Zest Theatre, and which ended along the lines of “we can become legends of the future”.
Yes you can! 🙌
