Students from Stoke-on-Trent Sixth Form College will premiere a film made as part of a campaign to encourage prople to use their vote.

The teenagers have worked with award winning Stoke-based animators Carse and Waterman on the Register To Vote Showcase. The film has been made as part of a democracy project funded by the national Women’s Vote Centenary Grant Scheme.

North Staffordshire won £35,000 funding from the scheme following a funding bid by locally-based education and arts organisation Partners in Creative Learning (PiCL).

Erica Love, Director of PiCL said: “Stoke-on-Trent unfortunately has a reputation as being an area in which not enough people exercise their right to vote in elections, so it was a very relevant topic for the Sixth Form College students to take on.

“We were fortunate to engage the services of talented film makers from Carse and Waterman and the creativity flowed, leading to an inspirational short film.”

The audience for the Premiere on Thursday will include Cllr Abi Brown, Deputy Leader of Stoke-on-Trent City Council. It takes place at 4.30pm, on Thursday (31 January) at the college, Victoria Road, Stoke-on-Trent.

Erica explained that the students involved, from the College’s Sisterhood Society, were politically aware and committed to raising awareness about the importance of voting.

One said: “It is so important for young people to have a voice, it’s our future. If we don’t participate in politics then we leave it up to the older generations and that has already had an effect on our planet, global warming is getting worse, people are still be discriminated against by the people in power”

Another said: “Governments need to push participation in the youth, we are the future”

It is the second project to be funded through the national Women’s Vote Centenary Grant Scheme, with the support of PiCL.

Plastic waste came under the spotlight at the Drowning in Plastic exhibition in Hanley staged by students from Newcastle-under-Lyme College.

The Women’s Vote Centenary Grant Scheme is a £1.5 million Government fund that supports local and community groups across England in celebrating the 2018 centenary of women gaining the right to vote..

Erica said: “The funding is being used in North Staffordshire to encourage groups of students to explore politics, democracy and civic life. “The Women’s Vote project was instigated to inspire young women to raise their voices and get involved in the local political arena and, who knows, it may inspire a future MP or council leader.”

Arts and education innovators PiCL design and deliver creative learning projects in schools, colleges and community spaces using innovative and interactive experiences to inspire people to learn new skills and to get involved in creating strong communities.

To find out more about PiCL, please go online to www.picl.uk.com.

ENDS

For media enquiries contact Nigel Howle on 0776 2043436, email [email protected]