Grant boost for Skills 4 All learning project

Rubbi Bhogal-Wood and Reddy Lenge are pictured with Royton and Crompton pupils

Oldham-based Skills 4 All has been awarded a £50,000 grant by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation to run a fully interactive arts-based learning project called 'My COVID-19 Memories'.

The project focuses on capturing, preserving, and sharing the first-hand experiences of young people of colour during the global pandemic.

Supported through the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, the art-based project will give the young people the skills, tools, support, and opportunity to record their COVID-19 stories, in their own words.

During this project, Skills 4 All will work with E-ACT Royton and Crompton Academy to help 12 young participants to experience the year-long project.

Working with creative arts, videography and photography professionals, the young people will learn core skills to share their unique lockdown stories.

In addition, they will gain up-to-date digital and work-ready skills they can use to strengthen their career opportunities in the fast-growing digital sector in Greater Manchester.

Commenting on the award, Skills 4 All Co-Directors Reddy Lenge and Rubbi Bhogal-Wood said: “We are thrilled to have received this support thanks to the team at Paul Hamlyn Foundation and are confident the project will support these young people to capture their lockdown memories using creative arts methods.

"We are grateful to E-ACT Royton and Crompton Academy for choosing to collaborate with us."

 Andrea Atkinson, Headteacher at Royton and Crompton, added: "I would like to thank Paul Hamlyn Foundation alongside Reddy Lenge and Rubbi Bhogal Wood from Skills 4 All, for their most generous commitment and dedication to the Academy and for giving our students this wonderful experience to express themselves through Art based learning."

Catherine Sutton, Head of Programme Education at PHF, said: "We are delighted to be able to support the deep work that Skills 4 All is doing with the young people at E-ACT Royton and Crompton Academy.

"PHF supports Skills 4 All and the Academy in recognising the importance of the students being able to tell their stories and have them honoured, and of having the opportunity to learn through the different art form practices." 

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