Vibrant Shropshire awarded Upstart Projects a grant through the Small Grants Scheme to run a Young Reviewers programme for young people in Shropshire.
The grant scheme is funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
Twenty three Shropshire students were given the opportunity to go behind the scenes of some of the county’s most important arts organisations in a project supported by Vibrant Shropshire. One of Vibrant Shropshire’s priorities is to overcome barriers to participation in culture, particularly among young people, so the application for funding for “Shropshire Young Reviewers” from Upstart Projects’ Voice Magazine was a perfect fit. Voice is a platform for young creatives covering arts, culture, politics and technology. More than just a magazine, Voice acts as a training ground for young people interested in arts and media careers and a catalyst for developing a youth voice across the cultural sector.
In two groups, students from Shrewsbury Colleges Group and Ludlow College attended a series of workshops and visits to BBC Radio Shropshire, Theatre Severn, Ludlow Assembly Rooms, Arts Alive, My Shrewsbury, Nerdy Cafe Shrewsbury (the gamers’ café) and a podcast studio. The project supported young people to visit local arts provision, of any kind, and then to articulate their views about it. “It opened their eyes to what is available to their age group.”, explained Diana Walton of Voice, “Previously only one of the Ludlow students had ever been inside the Ludlow Assembly Rooms, even though it is just across the road from the College.”
It strengthened the reviewers’ confidence at experiencing art and performance, working out what they think about it, building critical judgment and learning the journalistic techniques to express their opinions. In addition, the students were introduced to people working in the cultural sector in a variety of roles from producing, performing, marketing, podcasting, broadcasting and journalism, enabling them to discover what career opportunities exist in the area.
Participants commented:
‘I have never really been to the theatre so these events were new experiences for me.’‘I truly loved every moment of it. I do hope that you continue to do these projects because it gives the people opportunities in various ways: writing, confidence, different arts events, technical skills, insight into journalism and the arts, communication, independence and creativity.’
‘This project has really broadened my horizon in not only the regular arts (theatre, film, music) but in more niche opportunities, such as learning how to use sound equipment for interviews etc.’
70% of participants have said they would like to continue reviewing and might now consider a career in the arts or media.
Apart from the development of the students’ skills and access, the project had other achievements. It built upon the relationships between the Colleges, engaged with providers of arts and creative venues, and it opened the eyes (and the doors) of cultural organisations to the value of young people as not only a potential audience but also as suppliers of content and future employees. My Shrewsbury, the lifestyle magazine, offered an apprenticeship which was taken up by one of the students; another is now on the ‘press list’ at Theatre Severn, receiving free tickets in exchange for published reviews. The initiative from Voice was clearly welcomed by the organisations involved with the visits and workshops who gave willingly of staff time and resources. Their feedback included:
‘Theatre Severn are proud to support the Young Arts Reviewers group through supplying review tickets for various shows at the venue. The review tickets provide young people with the opportunity to engage in live performance, as well as developing and improving their writing skills. The feedback from a young reviewer can also be invaluable to both arts venues and touring theatre companies who are striving to develop a younger audience.’
Beki Poole, Marketing Manager, Theatre Severn
‘Working with Young Reviewers in Shropshire has been an exciting and energising process. Throughout the project we have met with some engaged and driven young people who really want to champion arts and culture in our region. By reaching out for young reviewers to come and attend our Shropshire Youth Fringe event, we were able to understand how our own young performers’ work impacts young audiences. We also made other important connections with young people involved in the arts, such as the young trustee from The Hive, who has a keen interest in working with us further.
The Shropshire Young Reviewers programme highlights the importance of young voices in evaluating arts activity and the significance of a youth presence in decision making activities.’
Lisa Morris, Shropshire Youth Fringe Director
Regarding a legacy from the work, Voice is planning to work with Ludlow College, Ludlow Assembly Rooms and Arts Alive, and Diana is hoping the project will be a catalyst for stronger bonds between the arts and education with, perhaps, arts venues running open days for school visits.
