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WAGNER INSPIRES STUDENTS FROM BARRY COMPREHENSIVE

Music and drama students from Barry Comprehensive will be performing at Wales Millennium Centre tomorrow, Thursday 14 June.  

The young people, all boys  aged 14-15,  will be using music, film and drama to explore the themes of Wagner‘s Valkyrie, and they are inviting members of the general public to come along to watch the show.

The innovative education project sponsored by Cardiff International Airport and supported by Arts & Business Cymru links to Wales Millennium Centre‘s sell-out production of Wagner‘s Ring Cycle last year.   

The project has involved children from seven schools in South Wales over the past six months.  The first stage ‘Rheingold‘ took water as its inspiration which the children explored through art and poetry. 

The second stage ‘Valkyrie‘ has taken air as its theme and students from Barry Comprehensive have worked with composer Michael Parkin to tell a story through music and drama, with action ‘narrated‘ using five huge television screens.

The funding has also enabled artist Andy O‘Rourke to work with children from Rhws Primary School at Rhoose and Oakfield Primary School, St Mellons, in Cardiff.  The primary school children have made huge colourful birds which will be hung in the atrium of Cardiff International Airport over the summer.

Jon Horne, managing director of Cardiff International Airport said: “This has been a ground-breaking education project for Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff International Airport and South Wales. 

“I have been very impressed by the feedback from the children. They have genuinely loved exploring the creative themes and experiencing something new. 

“Congratulations to the students from Barry Comprehensive. Performing at Wales Millennium Centre is certainly something to boast about and we all look forward to seeing our summer visitors - the Valkyrie birds - on display at Cardiff International Airport” 

Judith Isherwood, Wales Millennium Centre Chief Executive said: “I am amazed at the wide-ranging impact of this project on young people across South-east Wales. 

“Wagner‘s themes have really captured the imagination of students at primary and secondary level, producing outstanding work which will be a lasting legacy of the hugely successful production of the Ring Cycle held at the Centre last year.”

Barry Comprehensive‘s Valkyrie performance lasts for about 20 minutes and will take place at 1pm on the Tesco Stage at Wales Millennium Centre.  It is free to watch and everyone is welcome to attend.

If you would like to attend the performance at the Wales Millennium Centre tomorrow, to take pictures, interview the students or film please contact Claire Sneddon on 01275 349011

 

ENDS             13th June 2007

For further information please contact Claire Sneddon, Sturgess Van Damme, on 01275 349011 or email claire@sturgessvandamme.co.uk  

 

Photo captions:

Cardiff International Airport managing director, Jon Horne with children from Rhws Primary School in Rhoose, Vale of Glamorgan who have been creating bird sculptures as part of the Ring Cycle education project.