The Youthful Landscapes project will see more than 100 young people learn about the landscape heritage of the area through arts and heritage focused workshops.

Youthful Landscapes aims to encourage young people to learn about their local heritage, explore their environment and embrace topics that will inspire their passion and creativity. The project is a partnership between the Hive Music and Media Centre and other organisations, including the Shropshire Hills AONB Partnership, National Trust, Shropshire Wildlife Trust and Shropshire Museums Service.

Funding for the project was awarded through the Heritage Lottery Fund Young Roots programme, which is designed to encourage young people aged between 13-25 to develop, manage and take the lead in heritage projects that are of interest to them. The project is part financed by the Shropshire Hills LEADER programme, part of the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development 2007-2013: Europe investing in rural areas.

The project will work with young people aged 13-16 in four local secondary schools including Phoenix in Telford, Mary Webb in Pontesbury and William Brookes in Much Wenlock. Each school will be responsible for researching and exploring one of four chosen heritage themes, including the remains of the Shropshire mammoth, rocks and fossils, the origins of field names and Shropshire heroes. The first taster workshop took place at Carding Mill Valley on in February with 20 young people. During their day they took part in a walk with landscape history, geology and storytelling sessions, alongside photography and Haiku-writing.

Young people will participate in a series of workshops which will involve them in the heritage of their chosen theme, using archives and stories as well as creative methods such as music-making and new media to connect them to the landscape and local heritage. Participants will learn a host of new heritage and technical skills to enable them to undertake the project including curation, archive, research skills and music production, editing and digital photography techniques. They will have the opportunity to visit a number of heritage sites and organisations and through direct engagement with this heritage they will increase their understanding of the landscape, geology and local history.

Katie Jennings, Programmes and Projects Manager at the Hive said “The Hive is delighted to have received both the Young Roots and LEADER funding to run the Youthful Landscapes project. Alongside our project partners the Hive has spent time working to devise a dynamic and varied programme which will encourage the participating young people to pass on their knowledge and experience of the landscape heritage of Shropshire through images, film and music to the wider community.” She added “Youthful Landscapes is a prime opportunity to celebrate the heritage of our local landscape, why it is so special and what it has to offer using a variety of exciting techniques and cutting edge equipment.”