Young people’s animations help tell the story of the Norfolk & Norwich Festival
31st May 2023 – Tags: MINT
A series of animations that reveal fascinating facts about the history of the Norfolk & Norwich Festival have been produced by 8 young people who gained work experience with the Festival.
The amazing opportunity to learn about animation and work with the Norfolk & Norwich Festival team came about thanks to City College Norwich’s MINT employability programme and the Festival Forever project.
Festival Forever is a National Lottery Heritage Fund project which has seen volunteer-led projects research, record, and celebrate the history of the Norfolk & Norwich Festival and the people whose lives it has touched.
The young people’s animations provide an insight into the evolution of the Festival, including the history of the iconic Speigeltent. They also tell the stories of notable figures from the Festival’s 250-year history, including singer Dame Clara Butt, conductor George Smart, and composers Henry Wood and Samuel Colderidge Taylor.
Community film maker Lewis Wickwar supported the young people in producing their animations.
Reflecting on the skills gained through this work experience, MINT young person Amelia said:
It's been interesting having new people to work with. I hadn’t done animation before, so it was really nice to learn something new.
Wyatt adds:
It's a lot to remember, but it’s so rewarding when you do it. It’s very satisfying when you finish an animation."
The young people also learnt a lot about the history of the Norfolk & Norwich Festival:
We’ve learnt about people who’ve performed at the Norfolk and Norwich Festival, important landmarks, events they’ve held, as well as the origins and why the Festival started." - Wyatt
I’ve gained a new understanding of Norwich. I didn’t realise that the Norfolk & Norwich Festival has been going for 250 years." - Max
Some of the MINT Young People who took part in the Festival Forever project, with community film maker Lewis Wickwar and MINT Employment Job Coach Kerry Green.
Following the 4-month project, two of the group went on to gain temporary paid work with Norfolk & Norwich Festival events and catering during the two weeks of the Festival.
MINT works with young people aged 16- to 25-years-old who have a barrier to work. MINT’s Employment Job Coaches provide pre-employment courses, functional skills, support with searching and applying for jobs, and supported work placements, to help young people progress into sustainable paid employment.