Young people from fifteen secondary schools across Greater Manchester came together at the Lowry in a celebration of arts and culture within education.
The event that was hosted on Tuesday 1 July, was organised by The Speak Up Changemakers Event, as a part of National theatre programme.
For the day, students took over the Lowry building and were able to do live performances, art installation, film screenings and interactive pieces.
Hosted by young people, for young people, the day was a celebration of arts and culture within education.
As well as highlighting the power of young people, the importance of creativity and the impact this can make.
The event saw students from 15 local secondary schools across Salford, Wigan, and Rochdale have been taking part in the Speak Up programme for the last three years.
Speak Up is a secondary school programme that sees young people working in collaboration with local artists and teachers to co-create artistic responses to issues that are most important to them.
The programme encourages new ways for young people to think, see and bring about change, whilst helping participants to develop self-expression, well-being, and personal skills.
During this time, Lowry has taken over forty local professional artists into schools to work with students, covering art forms from film and drama to visual art and photography.
It also allowed them to explore a range of topics that resonated with them – encouraging a focus on themes of self-identity, place and belonging and primarily the importance of equity of access to the arts and creative provision.
This event forms part of celebrations taking place in nine Theatre Nation Partnership areas across England – encouraging more opportunities for people to engage in theatre.
With the celebrations will culminate in the Speak Up: Arts Everywhere Symposium at the National Theatre on Thursday 24 July led by the Speak Up Council, who represent young people across England.
Following the event Ella Dufton, Speak Up Project Manager at Lowry said: “The Speak Up Changemakers Event is a powerful reminder of what happens when young people are truly listened to and given the space to become creative leaders.
“Over the past three years we have seen students grow in confidence, creativity and ambition – making work about world issues that has impacted audiences and made real positive change within their communities.”
And this was echoed by a teacher from The Albion Academy in Salford, who said: “Lowry’s support in providing our students with such enriching opportunities is truly appreciated.
“The experiences on Speak Up not only enhanced their understanding of the arts but also inspires a greater appreciation for people from different backgrounds.
“We are grateful for the continued commitment to fostering creativity and learning in our community.”
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