Pupils at a South Tyneside school make "Climate Change" - COOL!

Where: Mortimer Comprehensive School, South Shields.
Address: Reading Road, South Shields, Tyne and Wear, NE33 4UG.
When: Tuesday 6th June, from 12:30.

Why: To mark the global campaign of World Environment Day 2007 - HELIX ARTS in association with MORTIMER COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL in South Shields are putting on a special event that is the culmination of 6-weeks hard work, which has seen 35 Year 7 and 8 students collaborating with Northeast-based creative artists including Street Dancers, MCs (lyricists), and a Graffiti Artist. All of the activities are being documented on camera as the young people are working with a local filmmaker to ensure this fantastic experience is captured for prosperity.

Tuesday's event will be a showcase of the "streetwise / urban arts" work that has been produced by the young people throughout the 6 week period.

Media contact: To confirm your interest in Tuesday's media opportunity please contact Garry Smith of Strictly Press on (0191) 2892809 or 0789 9910823.

Photography / interview notice: All of the young people taking part in the press activities have the appropriate parental media consent. If you are interested in picking up the item but aren't able to attend the media opportunity - photographer TONY GRIFFITHS will be documenting the event and his images will be available on request.

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The next sections of the press release include information and quotes regarding the following:

1). Full Event Details + Helix Arts - Teri Sayer (Project Manager).
2). Mortimer Comprehensive School - Louise Cowey (Extended Schools Manager).
3). Emily Barber – Filmmaker (quote):
4). Information about the "Climate Change Explorer" project - the BIGGER picture.
5). Action-point.
6). Notes to Editor.

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1). Full Event Details:

Young people at a comprehensive school in South Tyneside (Northeast of England, UK) - are doing their bit to reduce the temperature of the planet on World Environment Day (5th June) as they're making "Climate Change" ... COOL with a showcase of streetwise activities.

Over the past 6 weeks, 35 Year 7 & 8 pupils from MORTIMER COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL in South Shields have been working in association with Tyneside-based arts development company HELIX ARTS to produce a fantastic array of creative projects all geared towards raising awareness about the crucial issues of Climate Change that will at some point affect everybody on the planet. This has included the creation of a special film produced by the pupils along with local filmmaker EMILY BARBER to document each exciting stage of the project.

The young people have been working with the following creative artists throughout the intensive urban arts programme: JOHNNY DEEPER (MC - lyricist); ROBBIE GRAHAM and CONOR O'KANE (Street Dancers); PAUL RICHARDSON (Graffiti Artist / Teacher) and EMILY BARBER (Film Maker).

"Putting a streetwise spin on the serious subject of Climate Change has been a great way for the young people to express their worries and fears about the environmental situation currently affecting our planet," said Teri Sayers, Project Manager for Helix Arts.

Teri Sayers continues: "The project has been an emotive experience that has encapsulated the young people's feelings using new found creative skills that will also be valuable in other aspects of their learning. The lyrics that were produced during the MC sessions were heartfelt and honest responses about the environment. The enthusiastic and positive results are all down to using creative methods of which the young people can associate with.

"Helix Arts is keen to stress that our work isn't about preaching environmental issues to the young people, it's more about raising awareness and developing skills that will enable the individuals to acquire their own judgements and opinions on the world around us."

The education programme has been supported by Arts Council England and Defra (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs).

There are several official websites that document the international events taking place as part of World Environment Day.

The Environment Agency: www.environment-agency.gov.uk/wed
UNEP: www.unep.org/wed/2007/english

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2). Mortimer Comprehensive School (quote):

"The students initially chose the art forms they wished to work with, which helped create the enthusiasm and commitment that has been evident from the start of this project," said Louise Cowey, Extended Schools Manager at Mortimer Comprehensive School in South Shields.

Mortimer Comprehensive School has been keen to build upon its existing curriculum and this creative association with Helix Arts is an ideal package to identify a different way of approaching awareness and engagement with regards educating the young people about Climate Change.

Louise was impressed how the students adapted towards their chosen creative discipline, for example MC-ing, where they learnt about the skills involved in lyric writing and the appropriate techniques needed to get a message across. Louise concluded: "Everyone involved has enjoyed this project and most importantly it has engaged young people in the climate change debate by using art forms relevant to them."

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3). Emily Barber – Filmmaker (quote):

"This project has been very useful in uncovering what young people really think about the issues of Climate Change," said Emily Barber, an independent filmmaker from Striding Edge Films. Emily has observed the enthusiastic actions of the young people and believes a certain level of confusion is blinkering what they understand about the various environmental aspects, as the pupils' main resource of information is what they absorb from the media and general hearsay - reflecting in a few individuals who didn't think Climate Change was actually 'real'.

Emily adds: "I think it's important for young people to find out information for themselves and take ownership of what they learn - I believe that encouraging dialogue is definitely the best way forward as it allows the young people to interact rather than just listening to the thoughts of others... especially as it's the younger generation who will be actively taking on the responsibility of Climate Change."

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4). Helix Arts & "Climate Change Explorer":

The BIGGER picture....

Helix Arts specialise in the development of projects and initiatives which explore the role and potential of the arts in a social context. The project at Mortimer Comprehensive School is a small but important part of a bigger pilot research programme that has been in operation over the past 18 months entitled Climate Change Explorer - which has seen Helix Arts work with Dowdales School in Cumbria.

But as Helix Arts are situated in the heart of Newcastle upon Tyne they felt working in tandem with a Tyneside-based school (Mortimer Comprehensive) would plant essential project roots in the Northeast region... as well as in Cumbria, where Helix have been working in association with Cumbria Arts & Education.

Climate Change Explorer is being supported by Arts Council England and Defra (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs).

The groundbreaking Climate Change Explorer - is an online interactive resource that will ultimately enable young people and teachers alike, to contribute to and be a part of a special cyber "Climate Change" community. The facility will officially go LIVE in October 2007, when education establishments will have the opportunity to subscribe to the service.

The Helix Arts team will look to visit interested schools and colleges providing them with the best 'ways and means' of incorporating Climate Change Explorer into their curriculum. Climate Change Explorer aims to encourage new partnerships between key individuals working in environmental arts, education and science. The project will implement this whilst exploring new ways of thinking about climate change.

The creative work at Dowdales School in Barrow-in-Furness has involved animation, film making, dedicated artist residencies, the creation of a high tech Pod - information wall and a cool Virtual Gallery... all of which will be incorporated in some capacity into Climate Change Explorer.

In the continual development stages of the programme groups of artists and scientists have contributed in the creation of the website material including a science partnership with the specialist team at Environment Change Network within the University of Lancaster.

(There will be a press pack made available closer to the time of the October launch date... contact Strictly Press for further details 0191 2892809 / 0789 9910823).

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5). Action-point:

Further information about Helix Arts and how your school or college can sign up for Climate Change Explorer please contact Helix Arts by calling (0191) 241 4931 or via email - info@helixarts.com

You can also visit their official website www.helixarts.com

- ENDS -

Media contact: (to set up any interview or photograph requests)

Garry Smith - Strictly Press
Office: +44 (0) 191 2892809 / Mobile: +44 (0) 789 9910823 / E-mail: news@strictlypress.co.uk

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6). Notes to Editor:

1). Helix Arts specialises in the development of projects and initiatives, including artist residencies and commissions, which explore the role and potential of the arts in a social context. Projects are created for specific contexts and artists are selected for the relevance and quality of their work. Building longer-term partnerships, particularly with the public and voluntary sectors, has enabled Helix Arts to produce projects designed to engender broad participation, collaboration and sustainability.

The overall aim is to provide opportunities for the development of individual creative potential and Helix Arts is committed to the kind of collaborative approaches that ensure participants have a central role in shaping projects.

Since 1983 Helix Arts has worked with more than 150 artists in the delivery of over 120 projects with an increasing focus on international partnerships.

Helix Arts has charitable status and is revenue funded by Arts Council England, North East and supported by the Lloyds TSB Foundation.

2). Climate Change Explorer - Cumbria (Dowdales School in Barrow-in-Furness): The Cumbrian part of the Climate Change Explorer project has involved the following artists: Pete Rogers / Adam Clark / Lorraine Berry (Artist in Residence) & Shoreline Films.

The partners in the project have been Cumbria Arts & Education and Environment Change Network (scientific partners).