Year 8 Project Enable Students Visits to Team Hub and to Soft Touch Arts

To support the expressive arts curriculum by giving NCL students the opportunity to engage with music and art projects in the local community and outside of New Parks, a group of year 8s recently visited two leading providers of art and music projects. 

Project Enable is the latest of a series of programmes in New Parks, dedicated to improving lives through creativity.  The project is a partnership with New College and resident-run community centre, Team Hub, and Soft Touch Arts in Leicester. It co-ordinates music, art and creative sessions across the three groups to engage young people who attend New College and/or Team Hub, leading on to longer term development and progression sessions in New Parks and eventually at Soft Touch.
Designed for students who have taken part in Stage 1 of the Project Enable onsite at New College, the visit to Soft Touch Arts provided an insight into working alongside industry professionals in a music studio setting, with a view to the students eventually attending sessions at Soft Touch Arts independently. Students explored different resources that are available and took part in art and music workshops. They also had the opportunity to create their own music with some of Soft Touch’s highly skilled professional musicians and producers. 

During their time at Team Hub, our students were able to see what the local community provision has to offer them. There are a wide range of opportunities, for example music and art workshops, dance classes and football.

These visits raised awareness about career opportunities within music and the performing arts and provided students with the opportunity to develop and strengthen relationships within our partnerships with Soft Touch Arts and Team Hub. Project Enable is providing creative projects that can have a positive impact and encourage ownership of the community. We hope that by participation our students will have pride in their local community, accountability for their education and leave a lasting creative legacy that they can be proud of for years to come!