Illuminate Blackpool – A creative engagement programme for Blackpool Young People. Blackpool Grand Theatre’s Illuminate Project continues its success.

This term participants will work together with a team of visual artists, dance artists, sound artists, writers, filmmakers and photographers, to co-create a ‘choose your own adventure’ story about an alternative Blackpool that exists somewhere else in the multiverse. The children created drawn, collaged and block printed images of characters that will feature in a story about a place called Polablock – an alternative version of Blackpool that exists somewhere else in the multiverse.

This brand-new story will be shared in a serialised online zine before being told in full as a short film.

The children’s film story will be launched at a special screening at The Grand Theatre during LightPool 2022.

The participants will participate in Visual Arts Sessions (Meta Kid Avatars), Avatar Creation (Collage and Drawing) and discussion of the Concept of Illuminate, Concept of Story and output of Zines and Film.

In April they will create Puppet Making of a Character (3D), printmaking transposed to negative photoprint and Physical Theatre/Green Screen Video Capture.

Questioning topics like how does your meta-kid character move? How can people tell when they’re happy or sad, or confused? How would they like to move?

Illuminate Blackpool

In addition, the artworks and ideas developed by the children during the creation process will also form the basis of a new temporary sound and light installation to be produced in collaboration with Lightworks Festival.

Later, using their newly developed story-making skills, the children will work with Blackpool Grand Theatre to help develop new creative peer-led resources to support well-being, build creative skills.

Take a look at the previous Illuminate programme here.

The Ragdoll Foundation, Arts Council England, and Future U have funded this new two-year project.

The Illuminate Team

Phill Fairhurst, Executive Producer

Alex O’Toole Producer, Writer and Sound Designer (Twitter @thealexotoole)

Kate Eggleston-Wirtz, Lead Visual Artist (Twitter @eggwirtz)

Julia Swarbrick, Visual Artist (Twitter @JuliaMSwarbrick)

Anthony Briggs, Dance Artist and Filmmaker (Twitter @BriggsyProduces)

Henry Iddon, Photographer (Twitter @henryiddon)

Blackpool Grand Theatre – Arts Council England, National Portfolio Organisation

In July 2014 the Arts Council England granted the Grand Theatre, National Portfolio Organisation status

The Arts Council’s National Portfolio Organisations represent some of the best arts practices in the world, and they play a vital role in helping ACE meet its mission of great art and culture for everyone. ACE is determined to fund organisations at a level at which they can continue to produce the excellent and innovative art that audiences want and deserve.