Climate change, racism and more - Gosport students take part in project to raise awareness of issues they care most about

Around 30 Year 9 students from across Bay House and Brune Park schools in Gosport were invited to take part in the project.

The programme, called Creative Impact, is led by the organisation World Pencil which helps children and young people to research, design and run their own arts-led projects to encourage change. The projects are designed to have a measurable social or environmental impact around the issues of concern to them.

Eleanor Hawkridge, community arts leader for the Gosport and Fareham Multi-Academy Trust and Saint John’s school, said: ‘My role is to get children involved in artistic activities that they wouldn’t normally get to do in school. This week, World Pencil has been working with young people to allow them to think about issues that they feel strongly about and make a creative impact. It’s been a challenge for the young people but they have been given a wide open canvas. They have had to think about what they care about and what they want to do about it.’

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As part of the programme, the youngsters spent the week at Saint John’s new arts venue on Forton Road where they were given access to teaching and equipment from Fareham College to allow them to put together some short video works. They also had the opportunity to have a professional recording session with Quay West Studios, whose new studio is now located at Saint John’s.

Other topics picked by students included knife crime, equality and sexual assault.

Anna Vankova, 13, said: ‘I have really enjoyed the workshop. My group is doing a project based on freedom, equality and people’s rights. We are campaigning for people to have the same rights so that everyone is happy. We have been painting these big posters and we recorded a time lapse of us making it.’

Ryan Green, 13, added: ‘My project is about knife crime and how we can help stop it. We recorded a film about things that happen if someone is involved in knife crime. It was really interesting.’

The programme is supported with Lottery Funds from via Arts Council England.