Children & Young People
Over the last 5 years, every school in Liverpool has been working on projects supporting the Liverpool '08 themed years programme, however this work does not stop at the school gates. The programme works with different groups of young people all across Merseyside and beyond
Creative Education unites arts and education providers across Liverpool in a bid to develop initiatives that support and enhance the city's European Capital of Culture programme.
Working with the Local Education Authority, schools, and educational partners across the city, we have created a holistic programme for the themed years leading up to and including 2008.
We advocate creative education locally, regionally and nationally, showcasing the role of arts in education and the place of creativity in education and lifelong learning.
The programme of work is focused on three main areas:
- Creativity across the curriculum
- Using creativity as a vehicle to tackle issues
- Partnership and special projects
Creative Learning Networks
The Creative Learning Networks programme has been established to give teachers and young people in Liverpool the opportunity to work together with other schools and in partnership with arts and cultural organisations and local artists, to share best practice and bring creativity into the classroom.
Coming of Age
In 2007 young people and children celebrated Liverpool's 800th Birthday and participated in 'Coming of Age'. Schools produced 21 unique projects that explored Liverpool's rich heritage. The city centre and its neighbourhood venues were animated with exhibitions, performances and films.
The Walker Art Gallery became the home to life size celebrity scarecrows. Croxteth Hall was the host of a charming performance that showcased the heritage of the local community.
"Coming of Age gave schools a wonderful opportunity to work collaboratively on cross-curricular projects, culminating in exhibitions and performances celebrating Liverpool's 800 year heritage. A unique and exciting way for students to learn whilst enjoying the arts".Elaine Nery Notre Dame Catholic College.
Click to download the Coming of Age brochure
Generation 21
In 2007 Creative Learning Networks Programme looked to the past and celebrated Liverpool 800th Birthday with 21 unique projects that animated the City Centre and its neighbourhoods.
In 2008 we look to the future; children and young people from across the city have taken on the role of city planners and designed a 21st Century Liverpool that advocates health and wellbeing. The young participants have produced radical designs.
In Dingle they have invented new eco housing the 'Dingaloo' and in Vauxhall apparently the only way to travel is in water taxis and solar powered monorails. Using the designs as stimulus participants have been working with local creative practitioners to create ground breaking contemporary art that will be displayed in every corner of the city. One group of young people will be questioning Public Art and creating their own quirky designs to be part of the North Liverpool Festival.
'Generation 21 is a brilliant project as it really puts the young people in charge. They think of things we would never think of, we designed a school for the future and the participants decided that a hot tub was essential. We would never of thought of that!'. Jemma Eagan (Generation 21 Artist)
Participants have been sharing theit work with the city on 'Generation 21'web forum.The information gathered on the forum will be produced in to an interactive teachers learning resource.
Click to download the Generation 21 tool kit.
The Generation 21 learning resource will be launched nationally on October 16th as part of a National Creative Learning Networks Conference.
Little Acorns - This Early Years Creativity Programme is a partnership programme between Liverpool Culture
Company, Liverpool Children's Services Early Years Team and the Early Arts Forum.
The programme has engaged over 20 Early Years settings, including private and voluntary nurseries, childminders within their networks and established children's centres.
Each artistic team is working directly with the practitioners, children and their individual setting to co-ordinate a dynamic and inclusive programme of activity.
"We were really delighted with the sessions that you provided; the children really loved every minute of it; from story time sessions to discussions about our city and our heritage. They enjoyed discussions about different countries and cultures and had a wonderful experience tasting food from India, listening to Indian music, watching and participating in Indian dance sessions and dressing up in Indian clothes.Lynne Dolan, Family Link Worker, Parklands Children & Family Centre
Tales... from far away and the house next door. - A Specialist Arts Education partnership programme 
incorporating 20 different education partners across Merseyside.
These organisations span a three tier education system, including secondary schools from the Specialist Schools Trust and Arts departments from Further Education Colleges and Higher Education Universities.
All boroughs are producing arts festivals around the theme of European tales and myths with their individual specialist art forms. Highlight pieces from each of these festivals will be brought together in a finale production at St. George's Hall in an Arabian Nights style, multi-arts, multi-media extravaganza.
Through blue sky visioning and theatre workshops, local arts organisation Toxteth TV and digital media company Onteca are creating innovative multi-arts pieces with the young people involved; encouraging them to develop ideas and take the creative lead on projects.
Boroughs are working closely together to create mentor systems throughout the varying age groups of those involved with many also engaging local community groups in their festivals. This encourages a sense of ownership in individual boroughs and promises to lead to a diverse culmination of all performances in the St. George's Hall celebration.
Please download the Tales- e-Flyer for further information.
It's Not Ok!
A violence prevention education programme led by Liverpool Culture Company in partnership with Liverpool Children's Services, City Safe, Merseyside Police, Healthy Schools, Primary Care Trust, Connexions & Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service.
A Creative Catalyst for Change 'It's Not OK!' is a unique programme which uses culture and the arts to tap into the creative energy of young people to tackle issues surrounding violence.
It presently tackles four issues in the form of a film and educational resource pack:- Plastered deals with Alcohol mis-use, Street Heat deals with Arson and Anti-Social behavior, Senseless looks at Race Hate Crime and the flagship project for 2008 deals with Homophobic Bullying.
For more information on all Education Projects please contact Sarah Hogarth on 0151 233 1103, sarah.hogarth@liverpool.gov.uk or Gaynor Wright at gaynor.wright@liverpool.gov.uk
YOUNG PEOPLE
'Portrait of a Nation: Exploring our roots, Who do we want to be?'
A programme of creative work being run throughout 2008 by the Liverpool Culture Company, member cities of the Cultural Cities Network (CCN) and the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).
Importantly, it will extend Capital of Culture celebrations beyond Liverpool and Merseyside to involve communities across the UK in the year long activities. The campaign will work with young people across the UK to showcase their own local, regional and national identities through a series of events in 18 cities.
High quality creative work from these city events will be included in a spectacular celebration in and around St George's Hall in Liverpool in December 2008.
The 2 day celebration event will be the culmination of the year-long Liverpool European Capital of Culture programme of events and will include installations, performances, exhibitions and high profile debate. For more information please visit www.portraitofanation.net
Now in its 4th year of animating and using neighbourhood venues. In 2005/06/07 it platformed a host of Liverpool's young music talent, promoting, discovering and building on new music making within Merseyside.
The aim is to create more opportunities to perform within Liverpool's music scene and surrounding festivals for 2008 and beyond. Streetwaves Cities on the Edge project is a unique partnership of six European port cities - Liverpool (lead partner), Bremen, Gdansk, Istanbul, Marseilles and Naples. The European element will give young talent in these Cities the opportunity to perform at high profile events in Liverpool in 2008 and across its partner Cities.
Liverpool Culture Company "Be Heard" Youth Advisory Group
The YAG was established in July 2006. There are 30 members in the group aged between 10 and 20 yrs and they act as a medium that draws upon the experiences and opinions of young people across the City.
They are recognised as an auxiliary body to the Capital of Culture and they advise and are consulted on the 2008 Programme.
"We're from the YAG and we represent the young people of the city of Liverpool. We are the Culture Company's Youth Advisory Group, and we represent the cultural development of the youth of Merseyside" Throughout 2008 the YAG is greatly involved in the Portrait of a Nation project and will act as hosts and Ambassadors to the participating 18 cities.
For more information on all Young Peoples Events please contact Alicia Smith, Young People and Neighbourhoods Manager on 0151 233 1511 or alicia.smith@liverpool.gov.uk
