Amplifying the voice of young people
Exciting new partnership with Ron Dearing UTC
Freedom Festival Arts Trust is committed to amplifying the voices of young people in the city of Hull and is excited to announce a new partnership with Ron Dearing University Technical College (UTC) for 2019 and 2020.
The Trust is working with Hull's employer-led school to find eight students to join its Young Reporters Club, which will be part of the official media team at this year's Freedom Festival. This will be the 12th year of Hull's award-winning international festival, with an extended and audacious arts programme spanning five days.
Students interested in writing, reporting, uncovering stories, vlogging, blogging and photography are all being encouraged to put themselves forward for the Club. The Youth Reporters will become the voice of the festival, writing copy, developing podcasts, presenting community radio programmes, interviewing artists and audience members about all things Freedom Festival.
Jenny Howard-Coombes, Executive Director and Joint CEO at Freedom Festival Arts Trust, said: "This is a great opportunity for students to be part of this exciting journey, helping to tell the story of this extraordinary celebration of art, community and humanity taking place right here in our city.
"This is a new two-year partnership for 2019 and 2020, responding to our growing commitment to supporting the next generation and reflects our growing investment and exploration of the use of digital technology. Students, it's time to make your voice heard!"
The selected students will undergo training delivered by the Freedom Festival Arts Trust team and will help to create the media content throughout the festival. The content will then be used across Freedom Festival's media channels and post-festival the students will create their very own official Freedom Newspaper.
Lynn Garland-Collins, Ron Dearing UTC's Creative Director said: "Our employer partners are seeking employees who are creative thinkers and have identified creativity as a key employability skill. Creativity is, therefore, at the heart of everything we do at Ron Dearing UTC. This year we have extended our digital curriculum offer to include Creative Digital and Media qualifications and Art and Design.
"This exciting link with Freedom Festival Arts Trust will be fundamental to the development of our creative curriculum and we're extremely excited about it.
"The Young Reporters initiative will create fantastic work experience opportunities for eight of our Creative students, enabling them to look at the narrative of the Freedom Festival. They will have the opportunity to develop their own editorial team and take on roles within it, maximising the potential of technology and social media to tell the story of the festival. They will also explore key issues such as human rights, individual liberty and equality and diversity.
"This is an opportunity only available to Ron Dearing UTC students and we feel very privileged to be involved."
Deadline for applications is 12noon on 12 June 2019.
Details about applying for the Young Reports Club is available here.