Arts at Stockport Grammar
BUDDING poets from Stockport Grammar School had their work published as part of a landmark initiative to help celebrate the Declaration of Human Rights, while the young actors delight audiences with a drama production.
The first Greater Manchester Poetic Declaration of Human Rights was created by students from across the area in a bid to highlight the importance of the original document – which was created in 1948.
The Greater Manchester declaration was put together as a collaboration between the Robert F Kennedy Foundation for Human Rights, and Curious Minds (a creative charity).
SGS pupils were tasked with creating poetry based on one of the 30 declarations which was then compiled into a book – this is something which the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, hopes will encourage equality across the region.
Of the 30 poems that appeared in the book, five were written by SGS English and Drama pupils: George Hammond, Jess Wiggetts, Alex Powrie, Mia Forvargue, and Emma Griffiths – this was the largest number from any single contributor.
The pupils attended an online launch event for the declaration and were congratulated by the Director of the Robert F Kennedy Foundation, Sughra Ahmed, and Andy Burnham.
Those whose poems were chosen also received feedback from the judges.
Head of Drama, Matt King-Sayce, and English teacher, Rebecca Walsh, supported the pupils in the project. Mrs Walsh said: “It was a pleasure to work with pupils from First, Second and Third Year as they explored and discussed their ideas about Human Rights.
“The pupils worked hard to create thought-provoking, imaginative poems inspired by the Human Right that mattered the most to them.”
Meanwhile, the young actors of Stockport Grammar stepped out of the classroom and through the wardrobe to delight audiences with a magical drama production.
More than 100 pupils were involved in the re-telling of C.S. Lewis’ classic novel ‘The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe.’
The play centres around four siblings – Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy Pevensie – who wave goodbye to wartime Britain and are transported to the mystical world of Narnia where they meet a talking faun, an evil witch and a powerful lion.
Matt King-Sayce said: “It was a real pleasure to engage so many pupils, both onstage and backstage, in our first live production in almost two years. The three performances of ‘The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe’ were incredibly well-received by more than 700 people.
“The camaraderie and support the pupils offered each other led them to stage a performance they should be incredibly proud of.”
Ben Smethurst, who played Peter, said: “The show was really enjoyable and there was a great community ethos amongst the cast and crew. Being involved in the production was a great way to make friends and to find passions you never knew you had.”
