North East Children in a West Side Story

The project is being headed up by Lee-ann White, Senior Student Recruitment Officer for pre-16 recruitment at the University. The West Side Story project, aims to provide North East pupils with the opportunity to confront the gang and knife culture, which is increasing nationwide, with a positive and structured look at these cultures through music/vocal and dance presentations.

Funded by Northumbria University, Aimhigher (a programme set up to help people into higher education ) and Westnew Management, the West Side Story Project aims not to glorify knife-crime, but rather to powerfully illustrate the devastating effects subscribing to such a culture can have on individuals, families, communities and the region as a whole. Using music, voice and dance, this production takes a positive and structured look at the potential threats such ideologies can have to our traditional North East culture, with a view to making pupils think twice before participating in such sub-cultural activities, as well as to raise their aspirations towards Higher Education by increasing their confidence and engagement with the University.

When I spoke to Lee-ann about the project I asked her why a West Side Story was being used to educate about knife crime, “Music, especially the vocal kind, has long been a way of communicating emotions. I hope that the emotions and frustrations that present themselves in the music of Leonard Bernstein can be used in a positive way to make pupils think about the negative effects of potential life choices”.

The project started back in 2008 and since then has gone from strength to strength. It is facilitated by Northumbria University with the support of Professor Graeme Danby, the internationally renowned English National Opera singer, who is also an honorary graduate of Northumbria. Professor Danby and the University work closely with a group of experienced practitioners in the fields of choreography, music, dance and stage production and Northumbria 3rd Year Performing Arts Students.

To date, 200 Year 9 students from 10 schools in the North East area have performed their own unique interpretation of West Side Story at Northumbria University in November 2008 and March 2009.

Last September, 3 more local schools joined the programme with the aim of bringing all 13 schools and 260 pupils together on the stage at The Sage Gateshead. The pupils have taken part in voice and choreography masterclasses and will rehearse together at Northumbria University prior to taking to the stage at The Sage Gateshead on the evening of Monday 1st March.

Lee-ann added, “At first the idea of all 260 pupils performing together at The Sage Gateshead was just a dream. But the dedication shown by the pupils, and the support given by the schools and funding bodies have made the dream a reality. The performance on the 1st of March will be a showcase of what our North East pupils can achieve with a little encouragement. The performance will hopefully leave the audience feeling positive about the young performers’ futures and reminded of the negative effects alternative life choices such as gang and knife crime can lead to”.

West Side Story takes place at The Sage Gateshead on Monday 1st March at 7pm. Tickets, costing £2.50, are available from the ticket office on 0191 443 4661, or send an email to ticketoffice@thesagegateshead.org

For more information about the West Side Story Project, contact Northumbria’s Pre-16 Student Recruitment Team on 0191 227 4265 or visit their webpages