Royal Albert Hall helps train disenfranchised UK Youth
26 April, 2012
Royal Albert Hall helps train disenfranchised UK Youth
Iconic venue gives young people unprecedented access for photographic exhibition
April 2012: Iconic venue and charity the Royal Albert Hall has opened its ‘stage door’ to UK youths who are out of education, unemployed and not in training in a year-long project aiming to teach new skills.
For the past 12 months UK Charity the Royal Albert Hall has been working with Kensington & Chelsea College and some of the UK’s best photographers to train thirteen disenfranchised young people termed as NEET (Not in Education, Employment and Training) in event and portrait photography.
The project, Shooting Stars, culminates in a photographic exhibition, which is open to the public as part of the Hall’s reflect exhibition series from Wednesday 9 May- Sunday 27 May 2012 and features photography taken by the youths, who were given exclusive access at a range of events held at the Hall throughout the last year.
Lucy Noble, Head of Programming and Education said “Inspiring young people and giving them the chance to learn something new in a world class environment is a huge part of what we do. The NEET team have produced some fantastic work while learning a valuable skill”.
During the last year the team received regular masterclasses from leading photographers such as Jill Furmanovsky and Mick Hutson while also having access to flagship events where they’ve been able to help hone their skills and find their style.
The training programme means that the NEET team, aged 16 - 25, now all have star studded portfolios and a BTEC level 1 in photography. All have also enrolled in Level 2.
As a charity, the Royal Albert Hall actively engages with partners to offer access, education and opportunity in the arts. The Royal Albert Hall’s Education department has been running this innovative photography project which is aimed at these young people who have become disengaged from learning and daily activities.
Lucy Noble, Head of Programming and Education continued, “The Hall looks to support music, arts and science education and engage with partners to champion young people and sections of society who might otherwise have little opportunity to visit the Hall. This partnership with Kensington & Chelsea College does just that and we are very proud of the work that these now distinguished photographers have achieved. It’s another great project in our varied programme of own-promotes”
Bruce Tanner, Head of Photography at Kensington and Chelsea College said, “This exciting venture with the Royal Albert Hall has given a group of students starting out in photography a unique chance of shooting major stars in a high profile location. Throughout the project the students have gained confidence to the extent that they have been able to hold their own in the press arena with other photographers and have been able to handle smaller events entirely on their own.
They have grown from timid raw recruits to confident photographers willing to take on challenges and move on to the next level of their photographic education. I am delighted that we’ve been able to offer this opportunity with the Royal Albert Hall to these students.”
The exhibition is free and runs from Wednesday 9 May –Sunday 27 May around the ground floor corridor of the Royal Albert Hall. It can be viewed when attending performances at the Hall or during these free open days:
Sat 19 May 10am – 12.30pm
Fri 25 May 10am- 2pm
ENDS
Notes to editors
For more information please contact:
Sean Carrigan at the Royal Albert Hall - 020 7959 0531/ seanc@royalalberthall.com or Nicola Hamilton at Good Relations- 0207 861 3189/ NHamilton@goodrelations.co.uk
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is the world’s most famous stage. Its breathtaking auditorium hosts over 370 shows a year by the world’s greatest artists. The magical atmosphere combined with inspired artists creates legendary events. Opened in 1871 as part of Prince Albert’s vision for a centre for the Arts and Sciences, and a registered charity operating without public funding, it remains true to his founding ambitions within a modern context.
Extending the brand with over 120 events outside the auditorium, the Hall has broadened its appeal to younger, diverse audiences whilst still engaging its existing customers. It also works extensively with schools and young people through its Education programme, reaching over 30,000 participants each year.
For more information about Shooting Stars and the many other projects and events created by the Hall’s Education Department, please visit www.royalalberthall.com
Registered charity no: 254543
Kensington and Chelsea College
Kensington and Chelsea College offers more than 900 courses, including HE, across four West London centres. The college consists of a diverse range of cultures and ages and offers flexible, full-time and part-time programmes of study in a supportive environment. It is also committed to providing affordable education and has set-up a number of fee discounts and money saving schemes to support enrolling students.
For more information please call 0207 573 5333 or visit: www.kcc.ac.uk