The first series of Blaze Lounge workshops have begun in Preston with Darren Leadsom from More Music and Paul Hartley from Blaze working with local singer-songwriters Bill Orrick and Tom Metcalfe, offering weekly sessions for young people aged 14-18. Through this project, Bill and Tom will learn the skills necessary to run their own music workshops and gain experience of working with young people.

The aim of the sessions is to help the young people become confident performers and songwriters, and the project will culminate with the first Blaze Lounge gig, held at Fanakis in Preston on 3 April as part of the Blaze Learning Summit.

For more information about how to take part go to the event page on More Music’s website or contact Darren Leadsom on 01524 831 997 or email Darren.leadsom@moremusic.org.uk.

Blaze Lounge is a Breakthrough project, funded through Youth Music’s Musical Inclusion fund.

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Blaze’s great success of the evening was Clayton-le-Moors free running group Infinite Flow, who won the award for Sporting Achievement.  This is a fantastic achievement for the group and is great recognition of how far they have come over the past two years.  Infinite Flow then went on to become the overall winners of the Pinnacle Award through a public vote.

As well as winning awards, Blaze young producers contributed their skills and expertise to the Celebrate Youth in a variety of ways, including Dan McLaughlin, who auditioned via video and won the online competition to cohost the evening, Shona Thompson who worked with the organisers to coordinate and conduct media interviews with the award winners, and stand out performances from Blaze Power Play bands – Train Wreck and Second to None.

For more about Celebrate Youth go to YPS website.

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Culture on a Shoestring will bring together reviews and articles about a variety of cultural activities on offer across Lancashire, and how to take part in them without breaking the bank.  From comedy and film, to live music and visual art, Culture on a Shoestring will guide the way for those on a budget, helping everyone to get more culture for their money.

The new online magazine will be researched, written and edited by Blaze young producers, and the pilot edition will be launched this February – so watch this space!

Follow developments of this exciting project at cultureonashoestring.co.uk and on Twitter at @CultureString

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Other highlights included the premiere of the Blaze 2012 Documentary made by Handstand Films, along with performances from special guest Karima Francis, plus Blaze artists including Natasha Carter, The Processor, and Second to None.  Sound Intervention, the Pressure Company and Dragonfire created the fireshow.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to Blaze in 2012 and over the past 4 years.  You know who you are – it wouldn’t have been the same without YOU!

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Kajol Lally has been a young producer with Blaze for four years. During this time she has helped to produce two festivals and secured a work placement as a journalist for mailout participatory arts magazine. Kajol has gained confidence and focus, and has begun building a career in the arts. This is her story.

Read the full article about Kajol on Legacy Trust UK’s website.

The post Kajol Lights up Legacy Trust Film appeared first on Blaze.

Told through the eyes of the young people this 30-min documentary gives an overview of Blaze 2012 and shows the significant impact Blaze has had on many of the young peoples lives.

The film is a moving and inspiring testimony to the importance of the kinds of opportunities that Blaze has provided for young people across Lancashire, Blackpool and the wider North West; demonstrating how life-changing Blaze has been for so many.

Thanks to Handstand films for all their dedication, hard work and commitment to telling the Blaze story.

Handstand were also commissioned to create a Blaze 2011 film that you can view here

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We’ve put together a full photo gallery of 2012 so that you can sit back and enjoy all the best moments!

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(427 Photos)

Many thanks to Brian Slater Photography who has been documenting Blaze with since 2010 and produced outstanding images year on year.

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Contact Creative Experts began the day by giving us an insight into how young people are part of their organisation and what this means for them.  Through discussion and lively activities we explored Blaze’s current structure, our own ambitions, and what we want for Blaze in the coming years.  This included a dramatic human sculpture of an animated 3D shard, full of all the future possibilities of Blaze creativity!

Much inspired by the Creative Experts fresh ideas and risk-taking approach, our next steps will include integrating young people into the existing Blaze Board and staff team, and developing our Mission Statement around providing pathways for young artists, entrepreneurs and creative producers.

Many thanks to Contact’s Creative Experts for coming, and for bringing their highly creative minds and exhilarating expertise!

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As part of their Gold Arts Award, and alongside organising Under the Town this year, these Blaze young producers selected French, Liverpool-based artist, Laurence Payot to work with them on building the concept and ideas for the new illumination.

Through a series of design workshops, Payot lead the team through the intricacies of creating an interactive artwork to sit in the public realm, with members of Blackpool Illuminations team contributing valuable technical support and advice.

Laurence Payot, who has just won the SkyArts Ignition: Futures Fund, is interested in working with people and using their response to instructions and suggestions as the basis of her work. Past work has included ‘I thought it was real’, a ‘real’ statue of a silver street performer pretending to be a statue.

On coming to Blackpool, Payot was instantly overwhelmed by the volume of instructions and advice Blackpool gives through signage and announcements.  ”Walking around Blackpool, I was constantly called in with flashing words and signs to experience the best time of my life – from ‘the tastier take away’ signs to ‘the world’s best thrills’, promises of finding the truth on a palm reading booth to authoritative road signs, win/spin/insert’ instructions in amusement arcades to ‘love where you live’ Blackpool’s promotion’s campaign.”

This new illumination, situated in front of the North Pier, invites people to carry out different actions underneath it. You can have a group hug, ask a yes/no question and wait for the answer. Don’t forget to bring your cameras and best smiles for photo opportunities.

Young person, Kirsty Mah, aged 15, is thrilled to have had the chance to influence the design of an illumination in her home town , ‘I have grown up with the Illuminations, visiting every year and it is amazing to think I have helped create a really cool and exciting Illumination. It makes me feel very proud.’

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Demos and workshops in parkour (free running), live illustration, skateboarding, knitting and jewellery making were extremely popular, and a fantastic crowd gathered for Saturday’s premiere of The Chase.

Performances from KiD BRiTiSH, the Boom Bike Big Band, Skittles, and Strategy from Broke ‘n’ £nglish, went down a storm with audiences, amid a festival programme that included film, dance, acoustic sets, extraordinary hair art from Osadia, and our very own interactive street game Street Quest.

Blaze Bloggers worked with Lets Go Global throughout the weekend to create a Livestream for the WE PLAY Expo including interviews with artists and performers.

Over 70,000 people came through Blaze Festival over the course of the weekend to enjoy and take part in everything that the WE PLAY Expo and Preston Guild had to offer.  We are delighted with the success of the weekend, and it’s all down to the talented and committed group of young producers who made it all happen.

Stella Hall, Preston Guild 2012 festival director and member of the Blaze board, said: “These young producers have done an absolutely fantastic job and I am so proud of their achievements.”

Have a look at some of the great photos from the weekend on our Facebook page.

#blazefestival

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