WheelWorks’ Mission
WheelWorks exists to support children and young people’s socialand cultural development through accessible and innovative community basedprogrammes. These provide a creative fusion of traditional and digitalart forms, harnessing the arts for learning and change and giving youngpeople a voice.
WheelWorks achieves its mission by
Actively recruiting the most vulnerable and marginalised groups of youngpeople aged 4 – 25 throughout Northern Ireland. Providing participantswith access to training from professional artists using the latest technologyand software. Giving young people a voice to explore and address issuesof importance to them through the arts. Providing relevant training forstaff and artists on an ongoing basis.
WheelWorks Background
WheelWorks was initiated in 1995 to address the barriers that many youngpeople face in accessing and participating in the arts. WheelWorks hasworked extensively with young people from section 75 communities throughoutNorthern Ireland, including the award winning Respect programme and theMultiple Realities project which works with young people from culturaland ethnic minority communities on digital arts projects exploring identityand challenging stereotypes.
The ArtCart
The ArtCart is WheelWorks’ unique mobile arts vehicle and deliversworkshops to young people directly in their own communities. On board the ArtCart, young people have access to the latest software and computer equipment and a dark room/ sound recording studio.
WheelWorks programmes offer innovative fusions of traditional and digital art forms, including digital imaging, graphic design, traditional visualart, film making and music production.
Young people are encouraged to use the arts as a vehicle to address issuesof importance to them. All professional WheelWorks artists are policechecked and experienced in delivering high quality arts projects to youngpeople from diverse communities across Northern Ireland.
Art work created by young people on WheelWorks programmes is showcasedat local and high profile launches and exhibitions, and has a strong trackrecord of success at national and international festivals and events,with young people’s work screened at the London Children’sFilm Festival, Cinemagic film festival, the West Belfast Festival, theNew York Reel Teens film festival and the Mardi Gras festival in Australia.
Download
WheelWorks Digital Arts in Education - Method Guide.pdf [200KB]
WheelWorks was delighted to be part of the Digital Arts in Education programme, as it gave staff, artists and young people the opportunity to explore new approaches to digital arts delivery.
In June 2007, young people from Women's Aid, Belfast took part in a film, drama and visual art project as part of the programme. This enabled young people who had experienced and/ or witnessed domestic violence to take part in confidence building drama workshops before collaborating with the visual artist and film maker to learn skills in digital and traditional arts. The project resulted in a silent movie about the ups and downs of life in a ‘Shoe Circus’ inspired by young people’s ideas on bullying.
For further information please contact: Lucy McCullagh, WheelWorks Manager, 34 Shaftesbury Square, Belfast BT2 7DB
lucy@wheelworks.org.uk
www.wheelworks.org.uk
