Over the last two months while designing my project I have been questioning my motives for wanting to run a community outreach project...
Why am I so keen to use masks with young people? Why do I feel so connected to Miles Platting?
I have worked in Miles Platting in a primary school for two years. In this time I have seen the old Victorian building with its echoing halls and drafty windows be pulled down and a brand new school built. These physical changes echo more subtle shifts taking place in the young people I teach. I cannot comment on their work outside the sessions I lead, but their growing confidence and ability to express themselves through movement, speech and action give me hope. Their obvious enjoyment of the work I do with them and particularly their response to mask work has made me want to pursue this area further.
As I say goodbye to another group of 11 year olds I wonder what lies ahead for them? Will they have the same opportunities I had as a teenager? I get a sense that that is not the case. This lack of unequal access to the arts is why I'm running a project in Miles Platting. I believe the arts create pride, unity and hope in a community. I am here to learn, to share, and to listen. As the project takes shape so too does Miles Platting.
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