DURING the summer holidays there was much to entertain the school children.

Among the many activities arranged, a number of successful workshops were run by Ryedale's Child and Youth Project.

This project was established in January 2001 by a number of professionals working in both the voluntary and statutory sectors.

Through funding obtained from Ryedale District Council, NOF and local sponsors, a Summer Festival of Fun Activities was implemented for five to 12-year-olds.

The project was run by two teams of workers who travelled around 16 venues in and around Malton, Pickering and nearby villages in the area, where a wide variety of activities were offered such as art, craft, sport, games and even cooking lessons where suitable amenities were available.

Through funding received from the Yorkshire Arts it was even possible to incorporate specialist workshops in some of the venues, including circus skills, live music, break-dancing, music technology where children created and recorded their own songs and drama.

On August 29, I had the pleasure of watching a drama workshop in progress in Terrington Village Hall.

The group consisted of 12-16 year olds who put their dramatic skills into practice under the expert tuition of actor Kevin Rowntree. He was assisted by Danny Brown, a 21-year-old student in performing arts at Preston University, and Sarah Jackson who is a youth leader.

The day started with exercises aimed at improving concentration through a series of games which also provided the group with some amusement, and served to relax each one of them in the presence of newcomers.

Kevin trained at Bretton Hill and has worked both at home and abroad as a performer. He is now employed mainly as a choreographer specialising in combat sequences and teaches at Darlington College where he runs the theatre department.

The group, which consisted of mostly boys, with one young lady present, were enthusiastic to learn all the various moves and holds which are employed by actors to make fights in front of the camera look realistic.

Kevin emphasised that the prime rule when acting out combat scenes is safety, and he went on to show them how punches are thrown by film actors - blows that never reach their mark and certainly do not harm anyone.

Some of the moves called for a great deal of concentration, quickness of mind and lightness of touch as well as correct foot work, and the children tackled them all with great enthusiasm - and with some very realistic shouts and groans!

This workshop was run as a pilot scheme to find out what young people are looking for in their own areas.

At the end of the day, each participant is asked to complete an evaluation sheet, stating whether they have enjoyed the day and if they would like similar workshops provided in their area in the future.

Such excellent feedback was obtained after the break-dancing workshop in Kirkbymoorside that it is hoped to set up a break-dancing club there later in the year.

Speaking to the children during their lunch break it became clear that they had enjoyed the experience and were noticeably more confident than when they first arrived.

Kevin emphasised the benefits of drama courses which help to give students greater poise and the ability to express themselves.

Jennie Brown, who is the activities co-ordinator, would be pleased to hear from any young people who are keen to see an activity club in their area, or anyone from existing clubs who would like to create links with other clubs. Her telephone number is (01751) 473079.

MURIEL CANZINI

Updated: 12:02 Thursday, October 04, 2001