10.06.2011
More than 200 teenagers from across Scotland will use art, music, dance and drama to illustrate their political hopes and dreams for the future, thanks to an innovative Parliament education project to be held at Holyrood on Friday 17 June.
The ‘Political Voices’ event will see 17-year-olds from 31 Scottish schools take part in a series of creative activities – from spray-painting an 8ft high wall in the Scottish Parliament garden with political ‘street art’ to designing a cartoon with the award-winning animators behind the Dennis the Menace TV series.
The young people from each school (which ranges from Farr High in Caithness to Dalbeattie High in Dumfries) will work with leading creative professionals to illustrate their aspirations for Holyrood over the next Parliamentary session.
There will be six different workshops held at Holyrood in total – each of which focuses on a different creative art – drama, dance, film, art, animation and story-telling.
Speaking before the event, Scottish Parliament Presiding Officer Tricia Marwick MSP said:
“The Scottish Parliament has already established a firm tradition of reaching out and working with young people across Scotland, but this project is a truly innovative and creative way of enabling them to express their aspirations and concerns for the political future of their country.
“It will be fascinating to see the views and hopes of these future young voters expressed in these varying art forms.”
The full list of 31 schools taking part:
* Cancelled
| School |
Constituency |
Region |
| Greenfaulds High |
Cumbernauld & Rosyth |
Central |
| Our Lady’s HS |
Motherwell & Wishaw |
Central |
| All Saints RC Secondary |
Glasgow Provan |
Glasgow |
| Bellahouston Academy |
Glasgow Southside |
Glasgow |
| Springburn Academy |
Glasgow Maryhill & Springburn |
Glasgow |
| St Mungo’s Academy |
Glasgow Shettleston |
Glasgow |
| St Ninian’s High |
Strathkelvin & Bearsden |
Glasgow |
| Farr High |
Caithness, Sutherland & Ross |
H & I |
| Oban High |
Argyll & Bute |
H & I |
| Rothesay Academy |
Argyll & Bute |
H & I |
| Broxburn Academy |
Linlithgow |
Lothian |
| Craigroyston Community High |
Edinburgh Western |
Lothian |
| Firrhill High |
Edinburgh Southern |
Lothian |
| Royal High |
Edinburgh Western |
Lothian |
| St David’s RC High |
Midlothian, North & Musselburgh |
Lothian |
| Wester Hailes Education Centre |
Edinburgh Pentlands |
Lothian |
| McLaren High |
Stirling |
Mid Scot & Fife |
| Perth High |
Perthshire S & Kinross |
Mid Scot & Fife |
| Queen Anne High |
Dunfermline |
Mid Scot & Fife |
| Stirling High |
Stirling |
Mid Scot & Fife |
| Meldrum Academy |
Aberdeenshire East |
NE |
| St Paul’s RC Academy |
Dundee City West |
NE |
| Dalbeattie High |
Galloway & Dumfries |
South |
| Douglas Ewart High |
Galloway & Dumfries |
South |
| Earlston High |
Midlothian S, Tweeddale & Lauderdale |
South |
| Hawick High |
Ettrick, Roxburgh & Berwickshire |
South |
| Knox Academy |
East Lothian |
South |
| Preston Lodge High |
East Lothian |
South |
| Queen Margaret Academy |
Ayr |
South |
| Strathaven Academy |
Clydesdale |
South |
| St Andrew’s Academy |
Paisley |
West |
Background
List of workshops:
Art: Together with contemporary artist Colin Davidson, the young people will use street art techniques to project their own ‘political voices’ onto an 8ft high wall in the Parliament garden.
Film: Working with 'Hand Up' Media and Holyrood’s own broadcasting team, the participants will learn about broadcasting at Parliament and will make a short film reflecting their own political aspirations for the future. For more information go to http://www.handupmedia.co.uk/
Animation: Teaming up with award-winning Red Kite Animation, the young people will create a short cartoon featuring issues they feel are politically important.
For more information go to http://www.redkite-animation.com/
Theatre: Glasgow-based Hopscotch Theatre Company will deliver an inspiring workshop challenging apathy and examining the concepts of citizenship, democracy, self-empowerment and responsibility. For more information go to http://hopscotchtheatre.com/
Dance: Allan Irvine from Dance Base, Scotland’s National Centre for Dance will lead the group in an inspiring, motivating workshop featuring dance styles such as hip hop and street dance. For more information go to http://www.dancebase.co.uk/
Story telling: Michael Williams from the Scottish Storytelling Centre will show pupils how to discover their inner hero in an interactive adventure which sets out to reveal how storytelling can lead to a vision for the future. For more information go to http://www.scottishstorytellingcentre.co.uk/
Members of the media should contact:
Sally Coyne: 0131 348 6265 RNID TypeTalk calls welcome
Email: sally.coyne@scottish.parliament.uk
To view live proceedings of parliamentary committees and the main chamber, or for archive footage, please visit: www.holyrood.tv/
For public information enquiries, contact:
Telephone: 0800 092 7500
Textphone users can contact us on 0800 092 7100. We also welcome calls using the Text Relay service.
Text message: 07786 209888
Email: sp.info@scottish.parliament.uk
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