TrANSFOrMErS
A Youth Group With A Difference
B o y s a n d G i r l s a g e d 1 1 - 1 5 year s c a m e t o g e t h e r i n 2 0 0 9 t o l e a r n , p l a y a n d c r e a t e !
T r A N S F O r M E r S a r e a y o u t h g r o u p w i t h a d i f f e r e n t a p p r o a c h m e e t T h u r s d a y e v e n i n g s f r o m 6 - 8 p m f a c i l i t a t e d b y M O N A L I S A A r t s & a m p ; M e d i a a n d I g a n H a y a t i a m e m b e r o f t h e l o c a l c o m m u n i t y .
T h e s e s s i o n s a r e d i v i d e d i n t o t w o s e c t i o n s - t h e f i r s t h o u r i s s p e n t b y t h e y o u n g p e o p l e l e a r n i n g a b o u t t h e m s e l v e s a n d t h e i r c o m m u n i t i e s i n a n a t t e m p t t o d i s c o v e r h o w t h e y c a n b e c o m e g o o d c i t i z e n s . U s i n g a s e r i e s o f w o r k b o o k s g i v i n g a v a r i e t y o f e x a m p l e s , e x e r c i s e s , s t o r i e s a n d q u e s t i o n s t o h e l p t h e m l e a r n a b o u t s o c i a l a n d m o r a l i s s u e s . T h e y o u n g p e o p l e a r e a s k e d t o c o n s i d e r a n u m b e r o f d i f f e r e n t s c e n a r i o s a n d t o m a k e t h e i r o w n c o n c l u s i o n s a b o u t w h a t i s t h e b e s t w a y t o c o n d u c t t h e m s e l v e s i n t h e i r e v e r y d a y l i v e s . T h i s i s a b o u t h e l p i n g t h e m t o t h i n k a b o u t t h e i r a c t i o n s a n d h o w t h e s e h a v e a n i m p a c t o n t h e i r l i v e s a n d t h e l i v e s o f o t h e r s .
T h e s e c o n d h o u r i s t h e i r c r e a t i v e t i m e w h e r e t h e y a r e a b l e t o p a r t i c i p a t e i n a v a r i e t y o f a r t s a c t i v i t i e s a n d p r o j e c t s w o r k i n g w i t h p r o f e s s i o n a l a r t i s t s , c o m m u n i t y o r g a n i s e r s a n d v o l u n t e e r s . S o f a r t h e y h a v e b e e n i n v o l v e d i n t h e f o l l o w i n g a r t s p r o j e c t s :
N o t i o n s o f I d e n t i t y f i l m - m a k i n g p r o j e c t w i t h a r t i s t a n d f i l m - m a k e r R h o n d a F e n w i c k i n p a r t n e r s h i p w i t h S o u t h B u c k s D i s t r i c t C o u n c i l , O l y m p i c F l a g M a k i n g t e x t i l e s p r o j e c t w i t h t e x t i l e a r t i s t S u z a n n e O ' D o n n e l l , F l u x R a d i o w i t h m e d i a s t u d e n t E m m a B i l l i n g h a m , O l y m p i c A n g e l s V i s u a l A r t s a n d S c u l p t u r e P r o j e c t w i t h a r t i s t a n d f i l m - m a k e r R h o n d a F e n w i c k a n d G i n a M a r t i n S c u l p t o r , T r e e o f L i g h t i n p a r t n e r s h i p w i t h W i n d o r a n d H e n l e y F e s t i v a l s , T h a m e s V a l l e y A r t s a n d L e g a c y T r u s t , C o m m u n i t y C u r a t o r s f o r S l o u g h M u s e u m w i t h E l e a n o r P u l f e r a n d C h a r l o t t e J a m e s .
T h i s i s a g r e a t w a y f o r y o u n g p e o p l e t o l e a r n a b o u t t h e m s e l v e s , v a l u e t h e i r c o m m u n i t i e s a n d t o e x p l o r e t h e i r c r e a t i v i t y . F o r f u r t h e r d e t a i l s c o n t a c t M O N A L I S A A r t s & M e d i a .
Community Curators in Partnership with Slough Museum
TrANSFOrMErs have been working with curators Eleanor Pulfer and Charlotte James from Slough Museum learning how to curate exhibitions using some of the Museum's artefacts from its collection. Each week Eleanor and Charlotte brought a variety of historical objects, photographs, recipe books and information to give the group a flavour of what life was like in Slough between the two world wars. They were particularly interested in local cinema, leisure and food. They discussed what might be of interest to them and their community for an exhibition. TrANSFOrMErS decided to concentrate on the history of local cinema and leisure. They will be curating the exhibition about these subject areas which will be open to the general public in Burnham Library. As Community Curators they will be visiting the Projection Room in the old cinema in Slough which is now the Gala Bingo. They will then visit the new place where Slough Museum has moved into. They moved from the centre of Slough High Street into the Town's Central Library after which they will sample some of the leisure activities on offer today in Slough and will be competing against each other at the local bowling alley.
This project has given the young people the opportunity to explore some of the Museum's artefacts and help to put them together for an exhibition. They have also learned about life in Slough long before they were born and indeed even their parents are not old enough to remember the life and times between the wars. Community Curators has been a great experience for the young people and has helped them to gain an understanding at close quarters at how life was and how times have changed. A very worthwhile project indeed.
Community Curators
Three members of the Transformers Youth Group, May Hayati, Imaani Edwards and Matthew Hedger, met in Burnham Library to install the new exhibition of artefacts and objects from the Slough Museum collection. The young people chose leisure, sports and food as their topics of interest to create an interesting exhibition. The items on display date from 1940s – 1960s. All of which helps to give an insight into how life has changed since then. The exhibition runs until May 2012.
Transformers Have Their Say
- W h e n I ' m a t T r a n s f o r m e r s I f e e l I c a n t h i n k a n d o p e n u p
- I l i k e T r a n s f o r m e r s b e c a u s e I c a n s h o w m y a r t i s t i c s e l f
- A t T r a n s f o r m e r s w e a l w a y s d o f u n t h i n g s a n d l e a r n c o o l s t u f f
- I l i k e T r a n s f o r m e r s b e c a u s e i t i s r e a l l y f u n a n d w e a l w a y s d o d i f f e r e n t t h i n g s
- T r a n s f o r m e r s i s r e a l l y f u n e v e r y o n e i s n i c e a n d k i n d
- T r a n s f o r m e r s i s r e a l l y f u n a n d e v e r y o n e i s r e a l l y s o o o o o o o o o o o o , n i c e