Latest news with #creativearts
BBC News
8 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Hull youth centre reopens after £1.9m refurb
A youth project has officially reopened following a £1.9m Warren Youth Project in Hull provides support for young people including mental health counselling, creative arts programmes, and advice on housing and refurbishment of its base on Queens Dock Avenue was funded by the Youth Investment Fund and includes a fully equipped music recording studio, mental health and well-being zones, a youth theatre and dance space, kitchen facilities, and a rooftop terrace. Ryan Miller, 25, who uses the service, said: "Having a space like The Warren has legitimately saved my life on more than one occasion. It's a place where you can be unapologetically yourself." The Warren has been operating in Hull since 1983. In the past year alone, it supported more than 1,400 young people and delivered over 18,000 of its work is to support young people who struggle to thrive in traditional education settings or feel disconnected from mainstream society. The new features were proposed by the young people themselves to inspire creativity and help them pursue their Warren also provides free meals to anyone in Executive JJ Tatten told BBC Radio Humberside: "They tell us what they need – and we provide it. That means what we do is more likely to be successful and have a real impact, because it's what young people actually want."This is a space where young people can create for themselves." Cricket, 18, who uses the centre, said: "I've only been here a couple of months and it has already made a massive impact on my life."The centre is open Monday to Friday from 13:00 to 19:00 offering drop-in support, one-to-one mentoring and group workshops.A full programme of creative events is planned for the Tatten said: "The Warren brings people together. It brings people from different backgrounds and cultures into a non-judgemental space. There should be a charity like this in every city in the country." Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
RNZ News
26-05-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Wellington's Te Kāhui Auaha campus could close under proposal
Tapere Nui theatre at Te Auaha. Photo: A question mark hangs over the fate of Te Kāhui Auaha campus in central Wellington, with a proposal that may see it close in the face of declining student numbers. The creative campus on the corner of Cuba Street and Dixon Street opened in 2018, and its facilities include two theatres, a 55-seater cinema, an exhibition gallery and a performance studio. News of a potential closure surfaced earlier this year, when Whitireia and WelTec - which are part of Te Pūkenga and run Te Kāhui Auaha - said the roll had dropped from 600 in 2018 to fewer than 200 in February. Arts community leaders expressed concern it would remove an integral part of the area's creative and economic eco-system. Now, documents seen by RNZ show the campus never reached its goal of 1000 students. In fact, domestic and international full-time students are declining, and the polytech is running at a budgeted deficit of just over $12 million - a decrease on the previous year's deficit of nearly $19m in 2024. Director of teaching and learning Dr Leanne Ivil wrote: "We may not be delivering teaching and learning in Te Kāhui Auaha in 2026, and there will be downsizing of our physical footprint at our Whitireia Porirua and Petone campuses." Nearly a dozen programmes are proposed be cut by the end of 2026, including diplomas in drama, performing arts and dance, and certificates in mechanical engineering, hospitality, business administration and technology, and music. The proposal said the nature of specialist space and equipment required to deliver performing arts delivery (dance, drama, and musical theatre) against the volume of students made the courses "no longer tenable". Some of those could be transferred to community or private groups, and others would be relocated to Whitireia's Petone campus. In a statement, Ivil told RNZ consultation on the changes would close next month, and the decision on the fate of the campus would be finalised by July. She said no decision had been made on the future of the building or it's facilities and it was too early to estimate how much money would be saved by the move. Ivil said the majority of students currently enrolled at the campus would complete their studies by the end of this year, but for those who did not, they would find out later this year where they would be completing their study. Te Pūkenga declined RNZ's request for an interview, and directed questions to the Vocational education minister's office. The Tertiary Education Union's Drew Mayhem said consultation - which began in 2022 over the future viability of music programmes - had marked the beginning of a "death spiral" for creativity programmes at the polytechnic. "We told them at the time that music was the heart and soul of the creative campus and that losing that would be the beginning," Mayhem said. Since then, the film and screen programmes had been "considerably diminished" by internal restructures, and last year, it lost its Pasifika performing arts programme, the only one of its kind in the country. "It seems that the school of creativity within WelTec, Whitireia is going to cease to exist." Mayhem placed responsibility for the cuts at the feet of government's decision to dismantle Te Pūkenga , and restructure the training organisations into a handful of separate entities once again. "It's only because the minister has directed the individual institutions to try and stand alone, which is directly the cause of these cost cutting measures," Mayhem said. Vocational education minister Penny Simmonds. Photo: RNZ / Angus Dreaver Vocational education minister Penny Simmonds said the government was committed to replacing Te Pūkenga, and decisions regarding individual polytechnics would be made mid-year. From next year, the government would introduce an "independent, industry-led work-based learning model" which "puts apprentices and trainees at the centre of all decisions made related to trades training and places industry back in the driver's seat", Simmonds said. "As the minister, I am not privy to information regarding the operational decisions that polytechnics might contemplate. "However, I would suggest that it is important for Whitireia and Weltec, as it is for all polytechnics, to be taking appropriate actions to ensure their overall viability and maintain their relationships, and it is my understanding that Te Kāhui Auaha campus is not financially viable," she said. A Whitireia and WelTec staff member - who did not want to be named - described a meeting outlining the changes last week as "an absolute shambles", and said despite a month long consultation period, the presentation to staff made the move feel like "a forgone conclusion". "Since 2019 they have cancelled or moved around 7-8 creative programmes which makes it even more unaffordable. It's been a death by 1000 cuts," they said. "They keep talking about student numbers being low, but how can they be high or grow when you cut programmes or move them to other campuses to die?" Wellington's mayor Tory Whanau. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone Wellington's mayor Tory Whanau said in February she had sent Simmonds, and finance minister Nicola Willis, a letter outlining her concerns over the closure, describing it as "a blow felt across all the creative industries in Wellington's economy and cultural life at large". "I urged them to consider how the government could support keeping Te Auaha open given its importance to students and our local arts and events scene," Whanau said. "This was supported by 38 letters from Wellington arts organisations and Te Auaha graduates." "Unfortunately, Minister Simmonds has declined to take any action to save Te Auaha. I am talking to local arts organisations about what else can be done to keep Te Auaha open," she said. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
This Glasgow park will have a cinema and live music this summer
Queen's Park Arena is set to host more than 90 events this summer. The open-air amphitheatre in Glasgow's Southside will host a month-long celebration of culture, community, and connection. The Queens Park Arena's 2025 summer programme will run from July 3 to August 3, with the majority of its events set to be free or donation-based. Read more: Glasgow's unsung WWII heroes honoured for bravery The annual summer series, produced by Inhouse Event Solutions CIC, is expected to attract more than 45,000 visitors this year. The programme will include cinema, creative arts, early years activities, live music, sports, and more. The full schedule is available to view online, with tickets available to be booked at At the heart of this year's programme, the popular Cults & Classics cinema strand will return, featuring 31 open-air screenings, including 15 family matinees, four 12+ family evening shows, and 12 18+ cult favourites and blockbusters. The first week of evening films will include Forrest Gump, Silence of the Lambs, The Matrix, and Dirty Dancing, while the matinees will feature family classics such as Frozen, Alice in Wonderland, WALL-E, and Matilda. For families looking to keep children entertained during the summer, Big Fun will return with 15 early years sessions, two kids' discos, and creative activities such as dance, storytelling, music, and movement. Moreover, Open Stage will host 15 free creative arts workshops, open to all ages and abilities, plus two flagship events - the Glasgow Choir Festival and the Scottish Annual Hip Hop Jam. Community wellbeing will also be front and centre this year through Glasgow Games, with 15 free family fitness classes in disciplines such as Muay Thai, dance fitness, and yoga, alongside two major live sports screenings, and the introduction of the Glasgow Games 5k race in association with Parkrun. In addition, this year's programme will see a boost in ticketed larger-scale commercial events, with a new series of QPA Live music and comedy shows happening across key weekends. Read more: David Attenborough and Eurovision to hit big screen at Glasgow cinema Chet Capkiner, founding director of Inhouse Event Solutions CIC, said: "This summer, we're building on everything our audiences love from cult cinema and creative workshops to live music and grassroots culture. "We're especially proud that most of our events remain completely free or donation-based, ensuring the programme is accessible to as many people as possible. "I'm also very excited to bring back larger-scale live music gigs to the arena this year for the first time since 2017, I can't wait to welcome everyone back this year."
