We’ve been spoilt for choice in Normanton with exciting projects happening across the ward. The creativity and diversity of our young people has been reflected in the wide variety of activities we’ve had on offer. With the help of Deda, Oz Box, DCCT, Music Partnership and EMCCAN and Artcore we’ve danced, sang, painted, made music and played a whole lot of sport!
What's OnCreative Art Club with Metropolitan at 47 Church Street Community Centre
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The weekly Metropolitan Art Club, led by artist Jane Smith, has catered to over twenty children and offers them the chance to take part in activities like clay, mosaics, canvas painting and printing. These sessions help increase the children’s artistic abilities through learning new styles of artwork in both 2D and 3D whilst also developing life skills like resilience, communication and teamwork. The children love attending the sessions to try something new and have created beautiful pieces of artwork.
Street Art Festival with Artcore and Baby People
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In these sessions children will have the chance to make art outdoors as they decorate walls and buildings with different patterns and designs. This is a new opportunity that will allow young people to develop a different type of artistic skill and improve the teamwork was they create vibrant patterns and designs on one surface as a group. Baby People have also been working with young people on this programme creating exciting dance routines, and we’re so excited to see what’s in store!
Circus Skills at Hardwick Primary School
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The pupils of Hardwick Primary School came to Lunch time and after-school sessions to learn a range of circus skills, from unicycling to juggling. This was a fun and creative workshop, where pupils could try out new skills. Some skills took practice and determination, allowing the kids to learn resilience and other essential life skills.
Lucija: “It’s been a great opportunity to try new things. Some of the circus were difficult to learn but you feel really happy and proud of yourself when you get it right.’
Unit 3 DJ and Rapping at Arboretum Café
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These sessions are delivered together with the Multi-Faith Centre. Most young people who attend these sessions are from Eastern European countries. It gives them a relaxed and safe environment to socialise, taking them of the streets. They learned how to mix music and drop lyrics in time with their own bars.
Learning to make their own music stimulates their creativity and allows them to feel the sense of achievement when they finish a track.
Zee: “It’s a great place to chill with my mates. We would normally be on the streets with no where to go. I’ve learnt how to make my own music and found an interest that I really enjoy doing.”
In the early stages of the project, we took our partnering companies and people around Derby, showcasing the activities and workshops that young people could get involved with in their area. Seeing families gather to watch performances and meet our coaches to learn more about the project was really encouraging. It highlighted the need for a project like this in Derby. Some young people felt lost and alone without a place to go or people to talk to. One memorable moment was when Eyez came to perform at one of the Roadshow events – the young people were so excited to meet and talk to him about his music and once they were told they could attend our DJ and Rapping sessions, they were eager to learn more.
The Sgt. Pepper project for this is Derby has continued this month, with great success! Sgt. Peppers is a collaborative project over six workshops between young people and the artists Theresa Hempsall and Sophie Edwards. They will be working together to create a collage based on the Beetle’s album cover Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club. The children have been working very hard creating some amazing designs and have more about the history of Derby as they explore famous figures who have impacted the modern world, such as Florence Nightingale and Richard Arkwright. The project will end with a final, large commissioned piece from Sophie featuring the children’s work which will be exhibited in the Artcore Gallery.
