NEWS

It’s All About You!

11 Mar 2010

All About You is a community project run collaboratively by The Mercury Theatre and firstsite. For the past month 8 young parents from across Colchester have enjoyed attending weekly creative sessions where the focus has been on them. Through both drama and art workshops, led by Mercury Theatre practitioners Rebecca Hall and Miranda Bell, freelance ceramicist Karen Risby and Judith Merritt Head of Learning at firstsite; the mums have had the opportunity to spend quality time playing, singing and doing movement together with their little ones and then valuable time on their own to do something creative and meet new people.

Judith Merritt, Head of Learning at firstsite said “this has been a great opportunity for firstsite and the Mercury Theatre to collaborate and the project will test out a new way to address issues creatively. The keys theme came from the idea of symbolising the unlocking of the young parents aspirations for the future.”

This four week development project was initiated by Colchester Borough Council and NHS North East Essex and is in partnership with the Ormiston Children’s Centres and the Youth Enquiry Service (Teens with Tots) and is a pilot project.

All About You culminates this week in an exhibition of the work produced during these sessions at firstsite in Short Wyre Street from Thursday 11 until Saturday 13 March.

The young parents involved in the project enjoyed the new experience saying:

“It gave me the chance to be me.”

And

“It was great to do something for me for a change.”

YES (Youth Enquiry Service) is a charity that helps support young people between the ages of 11 and 25. For further information please call YES on 01206 710771.