Blackpool Grand Digital Arts Award Project – Blackpool young people proudly share their work as part of their Digital Arts Award at the Sanctuary Space exhibition in Wyre.

The Grand Theatre was delighted to be commissioned by Blackpool Council to co-develop and deliver a new Arts Award for the Headstart ‘Digital Youth Group’. This is part of a town-wide approach working with Boing Boing and Headstart, through the Resilience Revolution.

Since early 2021 Blackpool Grand Theatre has been proudly working in partnership with the young people and the team from Headstart. As well as commissioning artists, organising ‘Go Experience’ visits and supporting the development of their work in response to Covid-19 and their wider experiences of Blackpool through and out of lockdown. This project forms part of the Grand’s ‘Story-Led Resilience©’ programme and contributes to improving the mental health and well-being of our local young people through story-making and story-telling.

Blackpool Grand Digital Arts Award Project

“The Grand is committed to working locally across Blackpool, Wyre and Fylde and offering local young people a range of opportunities to express their own unique creative voices, build skills and share their work with others. Strengthening their personal resilience and confidence is a priority for us as we respond to our local communities’ needs.” Celine Wyatt Head of Creative Learning.

Phill Fairhurst, the Grand’s Creative Learning Producer says, “We are honoured to be part of such a moving community exhibition that reflects so many experiences of lockdown and Covid-19, the young people have worked so thoughtfully and we have a great partnership with the incredible team at Headstart.”

Lockdown Experiences – Young People

This temporary Arts Centre in Fleetwood’s Marine Hall Gardens is held in a large traditional marquee. The young peoples’ work will form part of the ‘Sanctuary Street Exhibition Zone’. A multi-sensory immersive experience that displays design work on old doors. The young people have incorporated QR Codes so that anyone can hear their stories that are attached to the photos they have on display. The group has worked on two doors presented along with 30 other doors from a wide range of community groups.

The group has created wonderful, thought-provoking creative work with one of the lead artists Claire Walmsely Griffiths who says; “The Arts Award group incorporated stop-motion, animation, storytelling, and communication. How an image can communicate who we are, how we feel, see in a new way, how text and conversations can be part of the process and photography as a visual language.

“Young photographers created images of Blackpool, perceptions of home, and positive and negative feelings associated with the lockdown.

“Photography is a powerful tool and can open discussion about identity, belonging and the sometimes-difficult labels associated with  Blackpool can be explored through a critical lens and power reclaimed. A camera can help explore what we feel, see, and experience, to feel brave – photography is an accessible tool to tell our own story and amplify young people’s voices.”

The stories, expressed through photography, that the young people have made through digital tools and platforms are to be shared at Wyre Council’s Sanctuary Space.

Read the full Sanctuary Street Exhibition Programme 2021