Youth Arts Project, CTW

The Youth Arts Project in the Churches of Wythenshawe is an ecumenical project created by the Roman Catholic Deanery of St Bonaventure, which is part of the Diocese of Shrewsbury.  The project has been created to use the Arts to engage young people in dialogue about their experiences of faith and culture in both their local and global communities.

Projects so far …

Easter Art Exhibition

The most significant has taken place in the 6 RC primary schools in Wythenshawe and 2 other primary schools in Woodhouse Park. Year 5 and 6 pupils from these schools worked with Hannah (Youth Arts Worker) to produce an Easter Art Exhibition, which was timed to coincide with the annual Good Friday Service, of all the Churches Together in Wythenshawe, to be held at the Civic Centre. They created ‘stained glass windows’, depicting different stages of the Easter story from the Bible.  They were invited to explore the different scenes of ‘Palm Sunday’, ‘Jesus Turning the Tables’, ‘The Last Supper’, ‘The Garden of Gethsemane’, ‘The Arrest of Jesus’, and ‘The Crucifixion’, and the ‘Resurrection of Jesus’. They then created freehand drawings of their impressions of the scenes and used paint, tissue paper and cellophane paper to create the stained-glass window effect.

Make Poverty History Labyrinth

Originally designed for Year 6 pupils this exercise has proved to be very popular will many different groups. The MPH Labyrinth is a gigantic fabric maze which leads to the centre. On this journey there are stations which offer information and reflection on the Make Poverty History Campaign. This has now been used in primary schools, youth groups and church communities and continues to be a resource for the Churches of Wythenshawe.

When asked for a response to their experience of the labyrinth pupils from the local primary schools said that:

It was …

Peaceful, prayerful, relaxing, shocking, fun

It made me feel…

Like crying, grateful, lucky, happy for my luck, sad, like I was there.

It feels weird … enjoying the labyrinth but feeling sad at the same time for the poor people.

I enjoyed…

Walking round it,

The activities – rubbing oil in my hand, making paper chains, playing with the sand, washing my hands

The music – made you think more

Make Poverty History Campaign

As well as taking the Labyrinth to schools and community groups, the Make Poverty History campaign has been an important theme for the project this year. This has included working on a Diocesan Youth Event in June, working with the Wythenshawe Jubilee 2000 group at Wythenshawe Park Festival and organising a youth group on Thursday evenings in the summer term to explore the ideas behind the campaign.

Ongoing work

Radio Time / Faith Show

The Faith Show is a Churches Together project which produces a show for Wythenshawe FM every other Wednesday evening. Radio Time is a project working in conjunction with the Faith Show to give young people a space in which they can gather and spend time together. They are also encouraged to get involved in the Faith Show discussing their experiences of faith and their communities. This is done through discussion, radio drama and any other form of art they wish to introduce. This group is held every other Thursday evening at St Elizabeth’s Parish Church.

Song writing workshops

Vocal Workshops in primary schools

Diocese of Shrewsbury:

World Youth Day 2008

Churches Together in Wythenshawe

 This has included the Good Friday Service, where a group of young people acted out the Easter Story leading up to Jesus’ death and resurrection; also working with the Jubilee 2000 group at the Wythenshawe Park Festival, campaigning to Make Poverty History and a banner for Churches Together in Wythenshawe to take to the G8 summit in Edinburgh.

Church Communities

       This has involved visit Church Services and Masses, leading art workshops and services and joining communities on weekends away …

Future Projects …

In the primary schools as well as St Paul’s High School …

Songwriting: Blues and Spirituals

Art Exhibition Spring ‘06

In Churches Together in Wythenshawe …

Wythenshawe Park Festival ‘06

Deanery Youth …

Youth SVP Launch & Christmas Party

Weekend trip to Kendal

World Youth Day, Sydney ’08 ?!

Questions or Suggestions? …

Want to get involved …?

Contact Hannah Kidd (Youth Arts Worker)

07834 734 858

hannahkidd@hotmail.co.uk

St Aidan’s Presbytery, 230 Wythenshawe Road,

         Northern Moor, M23 0PH        

NEXT RADIO TIME SESSION …      

THIS THURSDAY 7.30 – 9PM