Winifred Holtby pupils represent the city of Hull at Creative Partnerships national conference

Five year 10 pupils from Hull’s Winifred Holtby Technology College are set to step into the spotlight, on Tuesday 28th November, as part of the first ever national Creative Partnerships conference - exciting minds. The conference is set to explore the importance of creativity in education and includes keynote speeches from Secretary of State for Culture Tessa Jowell, Professor Stephen Heppell and Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Schools - Ofsted, Christine Gilbert.

Winifred Holtby Technology College pupils have been invited, along with Citizenship Curriculum Co-ordinator Lance Boanas and creative practitioners Jon Robson and Matt Stephenson from Cafesociety.org, to share their learning experiences in relation to the summer 2006 Digital Citizens programme. This piece of work was developed in collaboration between Creative Partnerships Hull (an Arts Council England initiative) and hull-based multimedia innovators CaféSociety.org.

The Digital Citizens programme is to be showcased alongside 15 other exemplar Creative Partnerships projects from across the country. Winifred Holtby Technology College pupils will contribute to a presentation, which brings to life the creative journey behind this programme of work. The conference audience is set to include representatives from a broad section of the educational, cultural, public and private sectors.

Between May – July 2006 aspiring young film makers, from Freetown, Sierra Leone and Winifred Holtby Technology College, Hull embarked on a multi-media ICT programme, inspired by the 2007 bicentennial of the abolition of slavery. The Digital Citizens programme was designed to build on the College’s ongoing learning development, as part of their membership of the Creative Partnerships schools network. It was geared to forge a creative exchange through the use of film, between young people from the twinned cities of Freetown and Hull. Digital Citizens set about closing the gap between both cultures in a meaningful and unforgettable way.

Dr Helen Cagney-Watts, Creative Director, Creative Partnerships Hull:

“ The Digital Citizens programme was designed specifically to bring the citizenship curriculum alive, by opening a window on a wider world. We are delighted that the programme is being featured as part of the national exciting minds conference. Its inclusion in this line up is testament to the hard work put in by Winifred Holtby Technology College pupils and staff along with creative practitioners Jon Robson and Matt Stephenson. The whole creative team will be flying the flag for Hull!”