Warwickshire News Mine

In an exciting project run by Warwickshire County Council’s Stratford Family Support Team and the Escape Insight project, youngsters will be songwriting and making their own music for a CD.

The project has been developed by a group of 14 young people in Stratford who successfully submitted a winning bid for a grant from Warwickshire’s Youth Opportunity Fund.

Working with two local musicians Allen Maslen and Marion Morgan, the talented youngsters have devised their own lyrics and music and honed their singing, playing and performance skills. They will be rehearsing in the practice rooms of Stratford’s Academy for Music before recording their songs at a Warwickshire studio with sound engineer George Shilling. They will also take part in a professional photo shoot as part of the finished CD.

Karen Jones, Children’s Services Development Officer for Warwickshire County Council, said: “This has been a great venture for those young people taking part. It has been a fantastic achievement for them to create the project themselves, successfully gain the funding and ultimately realise their dream of making music.

“Everyone taking part has been so enthusiastic, and as a result 14 very talented young people have had the chance to shine and really celebrate their creative voices.”

The four bands spawned by the project will also perform at a celebratory ‘Shadow Ball’ held at Compton Verney on 9 November.  The event will showcase young peoples’ creative work developed during Insight 2007 featuring carnival sculpture, film premieres, a youth arts magazine launch and the launch of a website.

Insight is a joint initiative with Stratford Family Support Team to provide accessible creative opportunities to young people who don’t usually get the chance to participate.  For more information contact Karen Jones on 01789 293615.

The Youth Opportunity Fund is a DCSF initiative operated through Warwickshire County Council’s Children, Young People and Families Directorate.

Link to WCC