Creative Commissions 20-22
Acting as a catalyst to inspire and empower, each commission enabled young people, especially those from working class backgrounds, the space to make critical comment on their lived experiences during this time of unprecedented change and uncertainty.
Change in A Box
Theatre in the Rough are a Lancashire-based producer of new creative work by emerging artists across the North West.
A creative resource led by Joseph Rynhart to help young people overcome some of the barriers to active citizenship. It is a technology-free exploration of history and activism through case studies, arts and crafts. The kit contains printed materials, trinkets and creative supplies. Using the resources, young people can learn more about active citizenship through history, experiment with new artistic techniques and materials, and discover ways they can become more involved in their community.
Double Life
A multi-award-winning musical theatre collective and production company set up in 2017 and based in Lancashire.
Working with young LGBTQIA+ people and West End Stars from Lancaster and beyond, leo&hyde will take inspiration from their new show GUY and the song Double Life to create a music video exploring what it is like to lead a double life. Digital workshops in dance, devising and BSL alongside additional instructional videos will build creative skills and integrate their own experiences into a brand-new music video. The video will form the basis of a campaign about finding your own community online, being proud and being your authentic self.
Watch the video here.
Your Place in the World, Now!
A professional singer, songwriter, producer and young people’s facilitator with over 10 years of experience, SHAR brought film and music together.
A creative project in collaboration with Jo Lane that combines visual and audio storytelling, song writing, music production and film making to develop a digital film and live event created and produced by young people. You can check out the event on our YouTube Channel here.
The project will elevate the young people’s voice and allow them to speak about what it is like to live in the world right now. So much of the news is geared towards statistics and numbers, the project will shine a light on the individual experiences of living during a global pandemic.
GRAFTS Changemakers
A visual arts organisation and CIC based in Lancaster championing exciting and diverse visual art from early career artists.
Creating connections between art and social activism, the Changemakers will be a group of energised young people passionate about arts and equality, tasked with curating a distanced exhibition of work by three emerging black artists from the UK.
Changemakers will research, connect and commission the artists and decide how works should be shown to reach disparate audiences. The project will provide a platform for young people to explore how art can be a powerful tool towards long term societal change.
Brain Hacks: A Phone Photography Experiment
‘Brain Hacks’ was a phone photography project focused on creativity as a tool for wellbeing.
Working with young people from Our Lady’s Catholic College, Lancaster, the project was produced and delivered by photographer Ginny Koppenhol.
Scientific research supports increasingly, the theory that by finding ways to focus on the daily positives of life, we can improve our mental wellbeing. The role of reticular activating system (our brain’s filtration system) is central to much of this research, and highlights our ability to actively shift our perception, which is especially valuable during life’s challenges, as it enables us to view the ‘bigger picture.
For more information on the project and the effect it had on the young people, check out a special blog here.
Now You See It
Art & Design students from Lancaster & Morecambe College were awarded the opportunity to work with Site Specific Artist Steve Messam on a project exploring ideas for transforming their local environments.
Steve’s work explores unseen spaces by transforming them with temporary interventions.
Over a three-month period and supported by the Culture Co-op, the college students produced and exhibited their ideas for visual interventions in and around Morecambe.
Future5
Lancashire Youth Challenge worked with producer Joseph Rynhart to develop Future5, a digital ‘postcard to the future’ young people from Stanleys Community Centre, Bay Leadership Academy, Morecambe Bay Academy, LMC and LYC were asked how they imagined the world would change over the next five years.
As a response to this question, they worked with a music producer, spoken word artist and film maker to create five original short films, which were exhibited at the Arndale in Morecambe.