We are delighted that we have been awarded funding from the Northern Ireland Executive Office, Good Relations Fund to deliver our amazingly successful Trailblazer digital art based programme - now in its 6th year! 

Trailblazer is all about developing cultural understanding through storytelling using digital arts, namely filmmaking and animation. The good relations theme is embedded throughout the process and the young people discuss the importance of kindness and community.  With animation they can draw and bring to life anything that they can imagine! The filmmaking is always so much fun, the young people don’t realise that they are learning so many new skills in teamwork, literacy, and leadership while at the workshops.

During 2023 and 2024 we will be working with 4 schools – St Nicholas’ and Carrick Model in County Antrim and St Patrick’s, Legamaddy and Downpatrick Primary Schools in the Newry, Mourne and Down area.

Over several school terms from September to March, the children come together in a series of shared workshops, site visits and celebration events, as well as having bespoke workshops each week with our highly experienced and talented artists.  During 2023/24 Matt Farris and Nathan Crothers will be delivering in the Mourne area and Kit Rees and Corey McKinney are engaged in the Carrickfergus schools.  We also have Lauren Martin assisting throughout the programme.

IF YOU ARE A TEACHER OR PRINCIPAL INTERESTED IN WORKING WITH ANOTHER SCHOOL IN YOUR AREA AS PART OF THE 2024/25 PROGRAMME, PLEASE CONTACT LESLEY CHERRY ON LESLEY@WHEELWORKSARTS.COM OR CALL 028 90 244063 FOR MORE INFORMATION.

CROSS-COMMUNITY

The Trailblazer Digital Academy is built around cross-community events, shared understanding, dealing with racism and bullying, good relations, self-esteem and confidence.

This is just some of what last years schools in Antrim and Kilkeel got up to!!

• Pupils in the Mourne/Kilkeel communities played Community Bingo, where everyone had to complete a bingo card full of questions, such as ‘Have you ever broken a bone, Do you have a pet, Where were you born?’ – encouraging the children to chat and converse with each other.

• In the Antrim School we have a visit planned to Antrim Castle Gardens to shoot backgrounds for the filmmaking aspect of the project as well as reimagining the Castle Grounds as a fantasy, magical world where all their characters come to life.

• All the schools have been working collaboratively in writing, directing, and creating characters, storylines, locations and planning for both their films and animations.

• They are discovering what makes a good story - light and shade, good and bad, positive resolutions and how working together is better than working against each other. 

• All the pupils even get to star in their own productions!!  

• With the animation aspect of the programme the children have been working in pairs to develop themes around of superheroes, villains, trust and teamwork, exploring the concepts of diversity, by celebrating differences and encouraging kindness, working together and helping each other when they can.

Conclusion

Trailblazer Digital Academy creates a safe space in the classrooms for discussion and exploration of social issues such as prejudice, racism, diversity, community, and culture. The use of animation and filmmaking as storytelling media encourages the young minds to embrace good relations and kindness in a creative and fun way.  Hands on and practical activities are the most effective method of engagement as children learn by doing. Overall, the project has been going from strength to strength each year with all our partners so far claiming it has been a wonderful success. The Schools involved this year, and in the past, made the commitment to bring the children together to address the social issues of prejudice, racism and diversity, using creativity as an agent for change.

 AIMS OF THE PROJECT

• INCREASED COMMUNITY UNDERSTANDING AND TOLERANCE FOR PARTICIPANTS

• IMPROVED COMMUNICATION SKILLS, TEAMWORK, AND PATIENCE

• THE CHILDREN WILL LEARN NEW SKILLS, UNDERSTANDING AND TEAM WORK

• 4 CLASS TEACHERS WERE EQUIPPED WITH NEW CREATIVE STORYTELLING SKILLS WHICH CAN BE INTEGRATED WITH OTHER ASPECTS OF THE CURRICULUM

• 4 SCHOOLS WILL RECEIVE A FULL SET OF DIGITAL EQUIPMENT (AN IPAD, TRIPOD, MICROPHONE, AND BOOM POLE) SO THAT THEY CAN CONTINUE TO APPLY THE SKILLS LEARNED ON THE PROJECT

IF YOU ARE A TEACHER OR PRINCIPAL INTERESTED IN WORKING WITH ANOTHER SCHOOL IN YOUR AREA AS PART OF THE 2024/25 PROGRAMME, PLEASE CONTACT LESLEY CHERRY ON LESLEY@WHEELWORKSARTS.COM OR CALL 028 90 244063 FOR MORE INFORMATION.

The programme is supported by the Executive Office’s Central Good Relations Fund delivering under the ‘Together: Building a United Community’ Strategy, which is working to improve community relations across NI as we build on our commitment to move towards a more united and shared community.