Art project aims to tap into youthful talent and enthusiasm

Sep 24 2008 Liverpool Daily Post

Neil Buchanan with youngsters at World Museum Liverpool launching of the, Find Your Talent, programme _320

IT WAS the one thing missing from Capital of Culture year, according to nearly 2,500 Facebook users who have joined the group "Get Neil Buchanan to do a Big Art Attack for Liverpool 2008".

Yesterday, the Liverpool- born presenter was back home to launch the new Find Your Talent programme alongside 90 schoolchildren from across Merseyside.

The event, at World Museum Liverpool, saw Buchanan and 90 pupils from St Theresa's Catholic Primary School in St Helens, Pleasant Street Primary School and Liverpool and Kirkby Sports College present a special art project in a performance that ended with a huge glitter drop from the ceiling.

It was to mark the start of the programme in the Liverpool city region, one of ten areas around the country to pilot the Government's £25m scheme.

Find Your Talent aims to give children and young people the chance to try out different cultural and creative activities for five hours a week both in and outside of school, whether in music, art, film, theatre, dance, digital media, exploring libraries, museums or heritage

Led by National Museums Liverpool and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, the Liverpool pilot programme has been developed in partnership with the leading arts organisations in the city including The Bluecoat, FACT, Liverpool Biennial, Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse, Tate Liverpool and the Unity Theatre.

Dr David Fleming, director of NML and chairman of the Find Your Talent Liverpool City Region Management Group, said: "This is one of the best government ideas for years and I am delighted that, against fierce competition from all over the country, we managed to secure funding for this important scheme."

Denise Liptrot, acting deputy head at St Theresa’s in Sutton Manor, said: "Our school has a particular interest in the arts and we want our children to embrace the arts and get as involved as possible.

"The school is not in a particularly good area, so our children will benefit from encouragement of any kind.

"We want to be able to give them the opportunity, and an occasion like this will stay with them through their lives."