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NEWS

30 July, 2008

NEW HULL-BASED CHARITY LAUNCHES WITH RELEASE OF 2nd CD.

Young people release 2nd CD to help launch Freedom Road Creative Arts;
a charity focused on empowering children and young people through creative and performing arts.

Kingston-Upon-Hull, U.K. July 30, 2008. Freedom Road Creative Arts (FRCA) today announced a launch ceremony to be held on August 10 at ‘Zest’ in Hull. The ceremony will be attended by a number of Hull’s leading councillors, local dignitaries and social welfare staff and will also mark the charity’s official launch. To commemorate the occasion a CD will be issued featuring original songs from the children and young people involved in the charity and live performances will take place on the day.

FRCA has already achieved significant success in Hull and the surrounding regions, using an innovative range of creative and performing arts to raise confidence and empower children and young people who are in care and at risk. By doing this FRCA has offered children and young people a platform from which they can effect change, influencing regional and even national policy-making on topics including child welfare and foster care.

“FRCA has joined a very small number of charities in the U.K. that are intent on providing children and young people with a voice to express their problems and how their lives can be improved,” stated Ian Bolton, Managing Director of FRCA. “Without this opportunity, many of Hull’s children who are in care and at risk will find themselves potentially isolated and much more susceptible to the wave of anti-social behaviour currently gripping the country.”

These sentiments have been echoed by many of Hull’s councillors who believe that the city needs more enterprises intent on raising the issues and concerns of the region’s youth, particularly with crime and drug misuse becoming so common.

To celebrate the charity’s launch a new CD will be issued featuring original songs written and performed by Freedom Road, a band composed of children and young people who have been working with the charity. The band performs at events and conferences in Hull and nationwide. Most recently Freedom Road took part in a presentation, performance and discussion at the 8th International Care Matters Conference, held at Keble College, Oxford.

The CD, entitles ‘All my Life’, marks the second release for Freedom Road. In 2007, the band issued an EP entitled ‘The City of Wilberforce’ to celebrate for the anti-slavery events across the country.

“It’s been awesome to be a part of this band. In Oxford people were dancing and clapping as we performed. It was incredible to see such a response to music we created,” added Matthew (15). “There were people from all over the world. It’s been one of the best weeks of my life and definitely one of the best things I’ve ever done.”

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Contact: Iain Thompson, Freedom Road Creative Arts C/o RAPP, 3rd Floor The Warren, Queens Dock Chambers, 47-49 Queens Dock Avenue, Hull, HU1 3DR

Notes to editor: FRCA offers drama, dance, song writing, and singing workshops for three different age groups – 5-9, 10-15, 12-16. Different forms of dance, circus skills, art and stage management are also covered in workshops for the major productions put on twice a year. In addition to this the young people are also coached to give presentations to conferences, and potential foster carers.

A large part of the project is funded by the Platform 2 Success awards which the young people who attend discuss, adjudicate, and hand out. These awards are given out to young people who have achieved either in their academic or social lives. Other funding comes from the Hull Children’s Fund, Youth Opportunities Fund, the Arts Council, Princes Trust and various other donors.

Freedom Road Creative Arts was born out of the Rights and Participation Project (RAPP) who, since 2002, have been offering Drama as a confidence building tool for children and young people in care, in need, or those at risk.

As with the last CD, ‘All my Life’ will be raising money to send to Sierra Leone where FRCA has strong connections with charities raising money for children with visual impairments. This bond was formed last year when the Milton Margai School for the Blind Choir came over and sang with Freedom Road at the Holy Trinity church in Hull.

NEW HULL-BASED CHARITY LAUNCHES WITH RELEASE OF 2nd CD.

Freedom Road Creative Arts launches as Hull-based charity focused on empowering children and young people through creative and performing arts.

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