York pupils drive arts project

9:17am Tuesday 24th June 2008

Comments (0)   Have your say »

• Play Video

DRAMA has gone al fresco at a York secondary school.

An outdoor drama production will take place at Canon Lee School in Clifton later this year to conclude a scheme by its school council.

An inaugural play will be performed at the school, which is a specialist arts college, to officially launch a new outdoor performance space created almost entirely by pupils, their families and a school governor.

Pupils in the school council identified the need for the outdoor theatre as a performance space and somewhere to sit outside during lunch breaks.

They were awarded a £15,000 grant towards the project's costs by City of York Council after winning a Dragon's Den-style contest which included performing for council officials and councillors.

Excavations to create the foundations for the 40-seat facility were carried out by pupils and members of their families using a mini-digger and dumper truck.

Stone benches for the audience were obtained by a governor, Colin Linley, a chartered surveyor with building surveyors and architects, the LHL Group, York, with help from Otley-based Lotus Construction, which put the concrete bases in place and positioned the heavy granite benches. The area also has special landscaping and lighting.

Head teacher Kevin Deadman, 50, said: "We are thrilled with the new performance space which is evidence of excellent motivation and citizenship skills by members of the school council, who initiated and saw this project through to enhance our facilities.

"Drama is obviously very important to the college and this new facility, which has been created with the efforts of the pupils, their families and Colin Linley, will provide students with an important new performance experience. We are grateful to the city council and all those who have helped create the new facility.

"We are planning to launch it with a special performance later this year, although this is still in the early planning stages."

Mr Linley, a director at LHL Group, said: "I've helped with several construction and property-related projects for the college since becoming a governor 11 years ago, but this is the most rewarding as it has been driven almost entirely by pupils in the School Council."

Steven Withy, managing director of Lotus Construction, said: "It's wonderful to be associated with a project which will enhance facilities at Canon Lee School and provide greater opportunities for the pupils."