IN BRIEF
HOLY CROSS SCHOOL AUDITION SUMMER TALENT AT THE BLUECOAT
SEFTON KIDS AND COUNCIL STAFF HELP COASTAL SCIENTISTS MAKE A SPLASH WITH YOUTUBE CHANNEL
Children from Holy Cross School have been invited to the Bluecoat as part of the selection process for the arts centre ’ s programme of free events for families over the summer . A range of performers are currently being auditioned and selected by local children to create a programme staged on a new sculpture Bluecoat Platform , by Simon and Tom Bloor with children from Out of the Blue . The summer programme , running from 21 July for four weeks , will consist of storytelling , music , comedy for kids , designed to engage children of all ages .
Bluecoat Platform is a new outdoor family friendly sculpture , and is part of the UK wide Here and Now programme , celebrating the legacy of arts centres and the 40th anniversary of the National Lottery . It is inspired by the shapes and structures that the children from Out of the Blue , the Bluecoat ’ s after school art club , made in a workshop with the artists . Resembling a scaled up model of their designs , this playful sculpture creates a physical platform to bring some of the Bluecoat ’ s artistic activities out of the building for audiences to enjoy this summer .
Betty Ritchie , Participation Manager ( Children and Families ) said : ‘ In the same way that we worked with children to make the Platform , we wanted them to help us decide who to put on it . We organised a call out for performers to send us a short expression of interest that we showed the kids . The children said which ones they wanted to take through to the next stage and now the artists have been paid a fee to submit a longer audition video , demonstrating the kind of activity they might deliver on Platform . The children have had great fun following along with these in the classroom and today is a chance for them to see a live performance on Platform . The children have been very honest with us about what they think is cool ; they have very discerning tastes !’
Tom & Simon Bloor said : ‘ What was great about working with the Out of the Blue kids is that they wanted to take control of their environment . People , not just kids , should feel like they are able to take control of their public space ’.
Platform is a Here and Now Project led by Future Arts Centres . Supported by Arts Council England , marking the National Lottery ’ s 25th birthday , with additional support from Liverpool City Council Mayoral Inclusive Growth Fund , DCMS and Stowe Family Law . The Bluecoat ’ s family campaign is supported by DCMS , Garfield Weston Foundation , Granada Foundation and the Johnson Foundation . The Bluecoat is funded by Liverpool City Council and Arts Council England and supported by Culture Liverpool .
Coastal scientists at Edge Hill University are making waves on the internet after launching their own YouTube channel in a bid to inspire the next generation of learners to protect the world ’ s coastlines .
Professor Irene Delgado-Fernandez , from the Department of Geography and Geology , has co-ordinated and produced Coasts for Kids , a series of short , educational videos to teach primary school children aged six to eight about the vital role that coasts play in our ecosystem .
Developed in partnership with Sefton Council and Southport Eco Visitor Centre , the Coasts for Kids videos have attracted global attention from across the international coastal community . Coastal scientists from other universities in the UK , Canada , Australia , Spain , France , and Mexico were involved in the project , as well as teachers and community artists .
The series of five videos have been narrated by school children in Sefton and are designed to empower children to understand the often complex language used in coastal science , in the hope that they will develop a greater awareness and interest in the challenges facing the world ’ s coastlines from an early age .
Prof Irene Delgado-Fernandez is a coastal geomorphologist and marine geoscientist and lead researcher on the Coasts to Kids project . She said : “ Our coastlines are under serious threat from rising sea levels , coastal erosion and flooding . These are significant challenges for our global community , and it ’ s critical that we educate children about this issue from an early age . One day this will be their world and their responsibility , so it ’ s vital that they are empowered with the knowledge to understand and enjoy learning about the precious and irreplaceable landscapes that make up our coasts . These children hold the potential within them to one day be the scientists and leaders with the power to influence the policies and decision-making that can protect our coastlines . It has been a wonderful experience to work with the children and to help them learn the language we use so often in our research . Not only has it bettered their understanding of our coasts , but it has reinforced our own knowledge and process on how we communicate our work to young people .” merseylife . com 9