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Insider Solutions
Case Studies 2005 - Contacting the World
An international/national project involving young people from Syria, Jordan, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nigeria, Cumbernauld, London (2 groups), Manchester, Oldham and Leeds. The project culminated in a week long festival in Manchester in July 2004. When? September 2003 - July 2004
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What paid staff took part and what were their roles? 5 key roles: Project Co-ordinator, Assistant Co-ordinator, 2x Lead Artists, Marketing Co-ordinator. In addition British Council and Contact admin and technical teams. How many volunteers took part and what were their roles? Ten young people undertaking event management, ambassadorial role with guest companies, outdoor event stewarding, liaison with general public. What was the aim of the project?
British Council Connecting Futures initiative encouraging creative exchange and deepening of understanding between young people from different cultures. How did the young people get involved? Young people recruited by individual companies. Contact advertised and networked for UK participant companies and developed links with international companies through British Council network.
The Project Co-ordinator and team was supported by a committee consisting of Contact's Artistic Director, British Council Officers and Lead Artists. Each UK company was twinned at random with an international partner using a live webcast draw. Each set of twins set out on a journey, stimulating each other's work, sharing ideas, themes and material. The artistic team at Contact helped structure material, guide the process and share work through a dedicated website. Over 9 months they interact predominantly over internet but also with ambassadors undertaking an exchange visit, exchanging photos, objects, ideas etc and devising 12 new theatrical productions. The 12 companies came together to share their work with 2 performances a night. During the day there was a large workshop programme, with each group leading 2 different workshops on aspects of their performance work or culture - these workshops were available to the other participants and to the public. The festival culminated in a street parade devised by all the groups with direction by Arts in Action from Trinidad. How was the project evaluated? The project was evaluated with the participants using a range of methods, including workshops, graffiti wall, feedback forms etc. There was also an evaluation by all the key stakeholders from Contact and British Council.
What were the main outcomes measured? The evaluations revealed the following outcomes:
High profile given to young people's theatre work through press coverage, capacity ticket sales and public demand for workshops. Why was this a good piece of work with young people? Contacting the World provided a real opportunity for young people to find out about each other's lives, to develop skills and to have a greater understanding of our similarities and differences. The platform of Contacting the World also provided an opportunity for young people to express themselves, to consider and to present what is important to them. How were young people's achievements recognised? All the groups performed their work to the other groups and to the general public and led workshops. The final parade was a form of celebration of all they had achieved over the year and the week itself. One of the most rewarding aspects of the project was the extent to which through their involvement in each other's creative processes, the young people supported and rewarded one another. Their respect and concentration for the others' work, their committed after show discussions (even when his was through interpreters) and enthusiasm to learn from each other. The exchange programme, performance and workshop programme went very well with high levels of engagement and real cultural exchange throughout. It was felt that at times the core staffing to manage the project was a bit small for a project of this scale and required review, including reviewing clearer delineation of responsibilities. As a result of the contacts made, many groups are independently pursuing exchange projects. Additionally, Contact has undertaken a further project working with three Manchester schools and three international schools. Planning for Contacting the World 2006 is currently underway. Details provided by: Jon Morgan, Executive Producer. |