The future success of the regeneration effort in Barrow is dependant on our young people. It is vital that we retain the skills and talent of our young people to ensure that the work in Barrow has a lasting legacy for future generations.
Until recently many 18-30 year olds were leaving Barrow for better employment and lifestyle prospects elsewhere. That trend reversed for the first time in over a decade in 2005, when research showed youngsters were staying in increasing numbers. West Lakes Renaissance’s Young People Retention Strategy has many strands, each tailored to keeping young people in the town.
MULTI SKILLS CENTRE
In January 2007 the centre opened its doors to 30 school leaves eager to become electricians, plumbers and gas installers, who could all be working on the Marina Village development in the future. The opening of the centre was the culmination of years of work to provide a facility for youngsters seeking to learn a trade and where redundant shipyard workers with years of experience could gain recognised qualifications.
The Multi-Skills Centre – which is based at the Furness College site – plugs a gap for Furness and represents a boost to the local skills market.
Previously training courses of this kind could only be found in Carlisle at the other end of Cumbria – a two hour drive from Barrow. The fact that Furness College was inundated by applicants is a strong demonstration of the need for this important facility.
West Lakes Renaissance funded 60 per cent of the £1 million needed to create the Multi-Skills Centre, with the remainder coming from the Learning and Skills Council.
ARTS, CULTURE & SPORT
Barrow has a long history of producing great artists and sportspeople. It is the birthplace of classic portrait painter George Romney and Turner Prize winner Keith Turner, a former Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering employee (now BAE Systems). On grass, footballers Emlyn Hughes and Gary Stevens and Rugby League legend Wille Horne all hail from the town.
ART GENE
Art Gene is an exciting artist-led initiative that provides a place for contemporary artists to produce and exhibit their work as well as develop and share ideas. Founded in 2002 by artists Stuart Bastik and Maddi Nicholson, and Julie Hammerton, director of Barracudas Limited, Art Gene offers local artists affordable workspace and the opportunity to display their work in a spacious gallery.
The European Regional Development Fund contributed to the redevelopment of Art Gene’s premises based within the former school for the Advancement of Science, Arts and Technology, now known locally as the Nan Tait Centre. The £4 million redevelopment is the foundation from which Art Gene has launched its ambitious aim to develop a contemporary arts facility of not only local, but national and international significance.
www.artgene.co.uk
THE BARRACUDAS
Barracudas Ltd is one arts organisation that knows how to make a song and dance of everything it does! With its very own carnival troupe consisting of more than 100 performers aged seven to 70 years The Barracudas perform at carnivals and events ranging from Cumbria and Yorkshire to the Notting Hill Carnival.
The Barracudas troupe is certainly putting Barrow on the cultural map and is the headline act of the organisation. But it is what goes on in the background which is just as important, in terms of discovering and nurturing new talent.
From its base next door to Art Gene in the Nan Tait Centre the company also provides educational and practical workshops covering music, dance, circus skills and, of course, costume making. They also offer a costume making and hire service that covers film, theatre, street events and parades, and have helped with projects such as the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Parade and the Baybeat Street Band.
www.barracudas.org.uk
THE ASHTON GROUP
Shakespeare is quoted as saying ‘Life’s a stage’. In Barrow the Ashton Group are taking this literally with their Theatre Factory project.
This professional theatre company specialises in working with youngsters to translate their experiences of day-to-day life in and around Barrow into exciting, entertaining and thought-provoking theatre. The project is designed not only to tell real life stories but also to discover and develop the theatrical talents of young actors and actresses. The most recent plays have proved so popular that they have gone outside Cumbria to entertain audiences in Lancaster, Burnley and Ellesmere Port.
ASBOy is a comedy that tells the story of a teenager who has been slapped with an ASBO for bad behaviour but it trying desperately to hide his chequered past while charming the girl of his dreams. The success of the play was followed by ICE BABY – a fast, furious and funny play inspired by true stories of teenage parents. Produced in conjunction with The Apprenticed Actors Company – an initiative to give young people from Furness their first experience of working in professional theatre – ICE BABY received rave reviews for its storyline and acting.
www.ashtongroup.co.uk
SHORELINE FILMS
Developing opportunities within the popular and every growing creative industries sector can play an important role in retaining young people, which is why West Lakes Renaissance has supported award-winning company Shoreline Films.
Shoreline Films has won widespread acclaim for its films, including its first venture Frozen; Death in the Bay: the Cocklepickers Story; and most recently A Bit on the Side, which won Best International Short at the Lille Film Festival 2007.
However, the company does much more than produce films - it also offers professional training and facilities to the community. West Lakes Renaissance has supported Shoreline Films through Barrow Borough Council's Local Arts Development Agency to deliver courses ranging from scriptwriting, camera, direction and Avid editing workshops, to mentored placements on professional drama and documentary crews. This work is helping to establish Shoreline has a regionally significant centre of excellence in film training.
www.shorelinefilms.co.uk
Young people are the future and therefore the main beneficiary of our long term work in Barrow. The Youth Re:Action Team is designed to involve youngsters in the regeneration process. For more information click here
WE SHOOT, WE SCORE!
West Lakes Renaissance played a blinder to ensure more than 500 budding Beckhams from Barrow could continue to fee their passion for the beautiful game during the 2007/8 season.
We gave £5,000 to the Barrow Playing Fields Users Association for new goalposts on playing fields at Ormsgill-Schneider Road, Barrow Island, Cavendish Park, Biggar Bank and Youth Fields. The Association was faced with a shocker when new safety regulations meant that they had to replace old goalposts on the site in time for the new season or have the full time whistle blown on 66 local teams playing on the popular pitches. But West Lakes Renaissance teamed up with the Football Foundation to provide the money needed to make sure the new season kicked off in style. The investment forms part of our strong commitment to improving sports facilities to encourage Barrovians of all ages to get fit and active.
