The FUSE project provides young people with the opportunity to experience and be inspired by a range of arts within their local community, by offering a space and the expertise to learn and develop creative skills.
The festival is a feat of collaboration, bringing together five art disciplines in Theatre, Music, Dance, Film and Photography, with over 43 young people aged between 11 -16, from seven schools taking part in the four week festival.
FUSE is part of an extensive outreach initiative by Nottingham Girls’ High School, where engagement with over 40 local primary schools continues in project-led activity days covering a wide range of subjects from the performing arts to sciences and maths. The aim is to challenge young people through creative approaches to learning, and strengthen local community ties by sharing knowledge, resources and support.
Students from across the city will collaborate and devise new work with the guidance and expertise from theatre group Nonsuch Theatre, local musician Josh Kemp, choreographer Jamie Thomson, photographer Samuel Kirby and video production company Allergic Films.
Photographer Samuel Kirby commented on the success of the project: “It’s important to cultivate a passion for the arts in young people, so it’s fantastic for me to be involved in FUSE Community Arts festival 2015. It’s rewarding to have the chance to work with students from across the city, help them to develop their talent, express their creativity and have fun with the arts.”
FUSE will culminate in an Arts Showcase at Nottingham Girls’ High School on Monday 15th June, which will give young people involved the chance to share work created during the festival, with their teachers, friends and family.
Nottingham Girls’ High School Head, Sue Gorham, comments: “We truly value our relationships with schools in the Nottingham community and we are proud of the strong ties we have built that enable us to bring our students together to learn new skills, make new friends and have fun. FUSE is one of the many community outreach projects we provide as part of our annual programme of events and is hugely popular with the students who take part. The arts are great way to encourage self-confidence in young people, stimulate their creativity and strengthen their communication skills. Plans are already underway for the 2016 FUSE Community Arts Festival!”
Work has recently started on the school’s state-of-the-art performing arts centre, The SPACe, which has been purposefully designed to widen access to the arts and for developing community led projects.
