West Side Story
The year 9 West Side Story Project has been running since September 2008 and aims to present students with a hard message about gang culture and knife crime. Additionally, it aims to raise the aspirations of children towards Higher Education by building their confidence and increasing their engagement with the University.
This project was awarded a runner up prize in the 2010 Fear and Fashion Awards as an outstanding example of projects that have proved successful in helping young people to stop carrying and using knives.
Following a series of workshops, rehearsals and two successful performances back in 2008/9, the project continued on in to its final phase in 2010 with more workshops, rehearsals and a final performance in Hall one at The Sage on 1st March 2010. This project was funded by Aimhigher TWN, Northumbria Police & Westnew Management Ltd.
13 Schools from across Tyne & Wear and Northumberland took part, rehearsing separately before joining together for the final performance:
- Astley High - Northumberland
- Burnside Business & Enterprise College – Newcastle
- Excelsior Academy - Newcastle
- Cardinal Hume - Newcastle
- John Spence Community High School - Newcastle
- Kenton School - Newcastle
- Longbenton Community College - Newcastle
- St Mary's Catholic Comprehensive - Newcastle
- Northumberland CofE Academy - Northumberland (Formerly Hirst High)
- Sandhill View School - Sunderland
- Academy 360 - Sunderland
- Easington Community Science College - County Durham
- St Thomas Moore - Newcastle
After the success of the programme throughout 2008 to 2010, the programme has continued into 2010/11 with 2 more performances of West Side Story at Northumbria University. Firstly 5 schools performed together in December 2010 and then a further 7 schools in March 2011.
