CREATIVE YOUTH ON SHOW

>From the 16th to the 21st June 2005 young people from across Tower Hamlets celebrated the success of local Neighbourhood Renewal Funded (NRF) arts projects at an exhibition entitled ‘Creative Youth on Show’. The exhibition took place in the spacious Bridge Space Gallery at the Old Truman Brewery on Brick Lane and was produced by CIDA, the Cultural Industries Development Agency.

‘Creative Youth on Show’ featured live performances, films, interactive games and installations, all developed by local artists working with young people in the borough. The exhibition showcased some of East London’s established arts organisations including L’Ouverture, Mouth That Roars and Half Moon Young People’s Theatre, Kaleidoscope Arts Project, On the One and Betar Bangla.

One of the newest and most exciting arts companies taking part in the exhibition was Kaleidoscope Arts Project, formed in 2005 by artists Tanja van Oudtshoorn and Polly Laycock in response to the needs of young people in Tower Hamlets. Kaleidoscope Arts Project work fuses multiple art forms and draws on global cultural references to expand young people’s imagination and creativity. Their projects introduce professional practice to young people by collaborating with artists from a range of disciplines. Their innovative approach aims to build confidence, communication and team working skills, and raise the aspirations of young people.
Another innovative project was the ‘CHi:KHo’ computer game, developed by school children in East London, Lithuania, Bulgaria and Italy. In East London the CHi:KHo project is being managed by CIDA and delivered by cSpace. The European Union’s Culture 2000 programme funded the project along with Tower Hamlets Partnership. Four agencies collaborated on the project – CIDA from East London, DIBE ELIOS from the University of Genoa, the National Forum API from Plovidv in Bulgaria, and Kedainiai Regional Museum in Lithuania.

The ‘Creative Youth on Show’ exhibition showcased the best of Tower Hamlets artists and their work in the local community and schools. There are still opportunities for teachers, youth leaders and students to get involved in projects as they continue to run until March 2006. For more information contact Fahmida Begum, CIDA on 020 7247 4710 or fahmida@cida.co.uk.