Young People join together in final celebration of the Find Your Talent programmme

23 July 2010

Young people from across England have come together at London’s Southbank Centre in a final celebration of the Find Your Talent programme. The ‘Share Your Talent’ event featured inspiring music and dance performances from young people highlighting what can be achieved when young people are able to access arts and cultural activity to help them to develop their creative skills and talents. Find Your Talent was the pilot cultural offer managed by national charity Creativity, Culture and Education (CCE).

Young people from across the 10 pathfinder areas proudly showcased what they have learnt as a result of the 18 month programme. Groups from all the pathfinder areas performed including the powerful Firebird dance performance by Leeds Find Your Talent working alongside Phoenix Dance Theatre and Leeds Metropolitan University; a fashion show by design students from Leicestershire; and a Bhangra drumming bonanza performance by the Partnership for Urban South Hampshire (PUSH).

Paul Collard, Chief Executive of Creativity, Culture and Education (CCE) commented: "Find Your Talent has made a real impact on these children’s lives. It is a privilege to be here today to see how passionate these young people are about developing their own talents as well as taking part in cultural activities.

"Find Your Talent has given hundreds of thousands of young people the chance to get work experience in the creative industries, develop new skills and it has provided the opportunity for them to learn musical instruments, perform on stage, attend performances and experience the great cultural heritage of the country.

"We will now use the learning that has come out of the Find Your Talent pilot and build it into our continuing work to ensure that all children can experience and access the diverse range of cultural activity that England has to offer."

Find Your Talent (www.findyourtalent.org) offered children and young people regular involvement with arts and culture both in and out of school. It looked at ways of helping young people discover new things, express themselves, develop a passion and make the most of their talent. This included music, art, film, theatre, dance, digital media and exploring libraries, museums and heritage.

Date: 23 July 2010

End

Notes to Editors:

For more information please contact:

Sarah Scott, PR & Media Manager at Creativity, Culture and Education on 020 7420 5423 or
email: sarah.scott@cceengland.org

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Southbank Centre

Southbank Centre is the UK’s largest arts centre, occupying a 21-acre site that sits in the midst of London’s most vibrant cultural quarter on the South Bank of the Thames. The site has an extraordinary creative and architectural history stretching back to the 1951 Festival of Britain.

Southbank Centre is home to the Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Purcell Room and The Hayward Gallery as well as The Saison Poetry Library and the Arts Council Collection. The Royal Festival Hall reopened in June 2007 following the major refurbishment of the Hall and redevelopment of the surrounding area and facilities.Southbank Centre is continuously working to place young people at the heart of the its programme as artists, curators, managers and as audience members.