July 20, 2021 4.00 am This story is over 32 months old

Refresh Lincoln street theatre gives young people a voice across the city

You may have noticed the quotes across the city centre
Young people in Lincoln have been quoted across the city as part of a street art installation. | Photo: Nickaarc Fine Art Photography
By Local Democracy Reporter

A public art installation which has projected the voices of young people with quotes scattered across Lincoln will now be launching an audio experience to bring the young community together.

National touring company Zest Theatre, based on Grantham Street in Lincoln, launched an exhibition earlier this summer which saw a range of quotes from young people spread across the city on banners, posters and signs.

A total of 80 quotes can be found in iconic locations across Lincoln’s city centre, after 800 children and young people were gathered for interviews to get the quotes.

Messages from young people can be found across Lincoln’s greatest landmarks and hotspots. | Photo: Nickaarc Fine Art Photography

It is hoped that the project will reclaim the city centre for young people and allow for their voices to be heard during the pandemic recovery and Lincoln’s reopening.

The project was co-curated with year 5T from Bishop King C of E Primary School and year 6B from St Faith and St Martin C of E Junior School alongside Zest.

The children quoted went on a tour of the city to check out some of the quotes. | Photo: Nickaarc Fine Art Photography

These two school groups will now be lending their voices to Refresh Lincoln Audio Experience, which fuses the voices of young people together with an original score created using sounds from across the city.

The Audio Experience will feature people in their teens and early twenties from Zest’s youth advisory board, to fully represent the 9-21 age range of the quotes gathered for the original installation.

The exhibition will be in place until September 4. | Photo: Nickaarc Fine Art Photography

Developed by Lincoln-based composer Tom Rackham in collaboration with Zest, it will be released on July 26 on the Zest Theatre website, as well as being available to stream across music platforms from August.

Producer Catherine Fowles of Zest said: “The Refresh Lincoln Audio Experience has been thoughtfully crafted to create an additional point of access for the words of Lincoln’s children and young people – allowing those who may be blind or visually impaired, homebound or isolating, neurodiverse, or even those with a connection to Lincoln who are based elsewhere to experience the installation.

“Refresh Lincoln as a whole has been an incredible opportunity to push our creative boundaries, and the Audio Experience has allowed us to really think about what it means to deliver work accessibly and equitably – specifically in ways that are as engaging and meaningful as the original piece.”

Some lovely things were said in the quotes! | Photo: Nickaarc Fine Art Photography

Bunting to celebrate and promote the event hanging from Steep Hill. | Photo: Nickaarc Fine Art Photography

Poignant message for someone so young. | Photo: Nickaarc Fine Art Photography