To raise awareness of and disseminate important messages of key environmental issues to young families in creative and engaging ways.
Summary
Through a programme of visual arts and dance/performing arts run at SureStart centres, participants (aged between 2 and 8) learnt about their natural environment (both urban and rural) and the diverse range of wildlife that is found there. Information on energy saving schemes in the home and recycling were passed on to parents.
Duration
June – September 2009
Outcomes/ Outputs
Participants have a greater awareness of what wildlife can be found in their local area, why it is important and how to protect it. Creative art forms were used, and participants created their own minibeast maquette and collective and individual collages. Social awareness and interaction and exercise will have also been improved for toddlers through dance/performing arts. Parents collected energy saving light bulbs, energy saving information and composting bags.
Funding
eaga Community Foundation
Partners
SureStart, Tees Valley Wildlife Trust, Middlesbrough Environment City, Middlesbrough Council Waste Awareness
Green Hearts
Aim
A young people’s engagement programme using the arts to increase understanding of local green spaces and to interpret wildlife habitats in the Tees Valley.
Summary
The programme delivered arts and conservation education activities and visits for 7 – 11 year olds in Primary Schools in each of the five boroughs. The programme provided teachers with professional development opportunities in sound, writing and visual arts. Family guided walk leaflets encouraged a wider audience to engage with their local wildlife areas.
Duration
February to October 2008
Outcomes/
Outputs
Students have greater awareness of local green spaces and their distinctiveness. Students also have a greater understanding of their role in local and global sustainability issues.
Teachers are equipped with new techniques for engaging young people in environmental awareness. Outputs include, onsite artworks, sound installation, leaflets and manual.
Funding
Heritage Lottery Fund
Partners
Tees Valley Wildlife Trust and Tees Forest
Going Underground
Aim
To engage primary school pupils with and improve their knowledge and understanding of local geodiversity, history and biodiversity.
Summary
The Going Underground project was designed to excite and inspire children in learning about their local environment, particularly local quarry sites. The focus for the learning were local quarry sites, one an active quarry, whereas the others were decommissioned at different times and are therefore at different stages of restoration. Eight different primary schools took part, each having a professional artist working with a class for a morning a week. The artists delivered the learning through their art forms and received support and training from local historical, geological and biodiversity specialists.
The art specialisms used were creative writing, photography, visual arts and performing arts.
Duration
September 2009 until March 2010
Outcomes/ Outputs
Completed art works - 2D, 3D, creative writing, photography and performances. A selection of the works were made into a book of images, and a DVD was created of drama performances, creative writing performances and slide show of images
Pupils & teachers interacted and worked with professional artist and local specialists
All participants had improved knowledge and understanding of local heritage/ geography/ biodiversity/ history
Pupils had additional/ alternate/ more stimulating resources to access different elements of the national curriculum
Improved access to new and stimulating range of teaching materials and techniques that encouraged cross curricular learning
Artists and teachers received CPD training by geologist and industrial historian
Funding
Funded by Natural England through Defra’s Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund
Partners
Tees Archaeology, Tees Valley Wildlife Trust, Tees Valley RIGS group, Sherburn Stone Company
Skinningrove Flood Defence Project
Aim
The project aimed to create designs (informed by the community) to influence flood defences fabricated and installed by the Environment Agency. Designs were developed through working with the appointed Environment Agency engineering design team to create an effective and attractive flood defence. The project was also designed to promote a strong relationship between the Environment Agency and the local community.
Summary
This project's primary focus was "creative consultation". A programme of visual arts activities featured mosaic, willow sculptures and driftwood art with young people and children from the village. Arts activiities took place at play schemes and youth clubs at a venue which serves as a community hub. Celebratory events such as the "Fish Supper" showcased artwork created whilst engaging the wider community through key community members and family groups.
Duration
Mar – Dec 2007
Outcomes/ Outputs
Community engagement: Workshops
Children aged 5 to 12 - 15
Young people aged 13 to 18 - 20
Community enagement: Fish Supper Event
Adult community members - 15
Children and young people - 15
Community engagement: Final Celebration Event
Adult community members - 11
Children - 4
"I think the project has been very successful and I have thoroughly enjoyed my time working in Skinningrove to the point of continuing to work voluntarily in the youth groups. I have collected a good amount of material to help me design the flood defences and I feel the community are more aware of the work that the Environment Agency will be doing in the Village ."
- Derek Mosey: Community Artist
Funding
The Environment Agency
Partners
The Environment Agency
Travelogue
Aim
To represent the coastline of Redcar and Cleveland through a series of digital Travelogue films.
Summary
A community film maker worked with two youth groups in Redcar to represent different aspects of the cultural and natural heritage of the coastline. The project provided an opportunity for young people 13 -19, especially girls to be mentored by a filmmaker to realise their ideas.
Duration
Sept – Nov 07
Outcomes/ Outputs
Participants enjoyed building on their drama and filmmaking skills. The group also learnt more about the area giving them a fresh and exciting perspective on the local area increasing pride and knowledge. The films were shown at a regional premiere and are available online.
Funding
Northern Film & Media, Heritage Lottery Fund
Partners
British Film Institute Tees Valley Wildlife Trust, Tees Archeology.
Skelton All Saints Old Church
Aim
To undertake creative consultation with young people of Skelton to engage them with Skelton All Saints Old Church and its grounds.
Summary
Creative writing and visual arts were used to generate art work and interest in the church and the grounds, particularly centring around epitaphs, pirates, voyages, death, the afterlife, and gravestones and the grave yard.
Duration
March – April 2009
Outcomes/ Outputs
27 different young people aged between 9 to14 participated in the workshops
Exhibition of young people’s work in the church
Greater understanding of local heritage and history
Young people worked with professional artists to improve existing techniques, and were exposed to new techniques
Funding
Churches Conservation Trust
Partners
Skelton Youth & Community Centre
Environment Agency Poster
Aim
To create images of wildlife for a poster design for a photographic competition run by the Environment Agency and increase environmental awareness.
Summary
TVA undertook creative visual art workshops in an urban school to enhance and improve the pupils’ awareness and understanding of local wildlife, and the children generated images which were used in the final design of the photographic competition poster
Duration
January 2009
Outcomes/ Outputs
Pupils had a real sense of achievement with seeing their images on a widely distributed poster, and an enhanced awareness and understanding of local wildlife, where to find it and why it is important.
Poster design and a bank of images to be used during becks promotion campaign.
Funding
Environment Agency
Partners
Environment Agency and Abingdon Primary School, Middlesbrough
.jpg "Green TV - Abingdon Primary School at Maze Park. Photo by Bob Mitchell")
