The Girls Venture Corps and youngsters from Mortimer Community College, both in South Shields, have been awarded Arts Award qualifications.

And the 11 girls from the Venture Corps, based in Horsley Hill, became the first ever group in South Tyneside to achieve the bronze award.

Coun Tracey Dixon, lead member for culture and wellbeing, said: "It is fantastic to see these young people achieve their awards.

"The great thing about the Arts Award is that it is directed by the young people themselves. They choose what they want to involve in their project, and how they want to present it."

The Venture Corps girls worked closely with Graham Hodgson from Hawthorn Arts on a project which formed the basis of their award.

Their project involved visits to local cultural venues such as The Baltic, in Gateshead, where they decided which pieces of art they liked, and why.

They then each chose a favourite artist to research and present their findings, including artwork, to the rest of the group.

A calendar will be distributed within the group later this year.

The girls also worked with arts organisation Makers and Shakers to create costumes which they wore in this year's Cookson Parade.

They are now keen to achieve silver and inspire their younger peers to begin Arts Award as soon as they reach the minimum age of 11.

The youngsters from Mortimer Community College got their award after working on a project called Fresh Media.

Based at the Open Zone in South Shields, the group worked with artists Zoe Korda and James De Marco on a range of activities including animation, photography, film- making and editing.

Coun Dixon added: "We have supported the Arts Awards by funding arts sessions, supplying packs and paying for advisor training.

"We would like to encourage more young people to get involved, as these awards are a great way to explore various forms of creativity while working towards a national accreditation."

To find out more about working towards an Arts Award, or about the free Young People's Art Group – based at Hawthorn Arts, on Mondays from 4.30pm to 5.30pm – contact youth arts officer, Anne Hodgson on 424 7279, 07766 602 303, or e-mail anne.hodgson@southtyneside.gov.
uk.