In case you missed it: Half Term at Spotlight

01.11.2018

In case you missed it: Half Term at Spotlight

It was a busy half-term as always here at Lansbury Spotlight as young people used the break from school to get creative, active and inspired.

From the 22-26 October, while Langdon Park School next-door was quiet, Spotlight was getting busy with a week of classes, trips and events.

The many highlights include the kick-off of our new theatre group with the innovative S+K Project on Youth Theatre Audition Day – with a day of workshops leading up to auditions which everyone smashed – ready for a term of exciting and original theatre, breaking stereotypes and getting everyone’s voices heard. Tuesday also saw the centre filled with the upbeat tunes of Grand Union Orchestra’s Trading Roots workshop, and on Thursday we enjoyed the high energy rhythms of Home Bros’ Afro Beats Dance workshop which even got the staff dancing (although with varying degrees of success).

While Lansbury was buzzing with activity, our Youth Empowerment Programme and Committee members spent the week getting inspired in famous places. Some of the most established institutions in the country got ticked off the list, from visits to the Home Office and Houses of Parliament – and question time with the Director for Integration and Communities Hardip Begol– to a tour of Cambridge University to promote university life. They also got stuck into London’s air pollution problem at UNICEF’s new HQ and learned about conservation at London Wildlife Trust-owned Camley Street Natural Park, gaining a load of skills including professional presentation and discovering the surprise stand-out cooks of the group.

Back in Lansbury, the only way to end the week was with some top live music events. Mic Check night continued to buzz with talent, with Portuguese rap, beautiful Labrinth covers and performances from local artists to see us through the evening.

And it wouldn’t be Spotlight without an evening of emerging Grime talent. Friday saw the participants of a week-long Grime Pays programme for 11-14 year olds with Ruff Sqwad Arts Foundation get out of the booth and onto the stage, performing their fresh new tracks and getting valuable advice (in-between requests for shout-outs) from special guests Kwarteng and HeadieOne.

Our half-term programme was a week really proving the talent of all the young people who attend our centre who deserve to have some noise made about them, and we’re looking forward to another busy term!