Around 200 more people have become unemployed in Lincoln and its surrounding villages in January according to figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Unemployment has risen by 6% in a month with 3,384 people now claiming unemployment benefits, which is almost 5% of the city’s working population.
Men are worse off in Lincoln with over 70% of the people claiming benefits in the city being male.
There are currently 16,032 people claiming unemployment benefit in Lincolnshire which is an 8% increase in January, but the unemployment percentage of the working population is only 3.7%.
Lincoln is doing better than national trends, which show UK unemployment at 2.67 million, a rate of 8.4%, the worst for 16 years.
A group of children from Lincoln who have been in care, have been nominated for a prestigious award for their short film Broken Sleep.
The 6 to 13 year-olds used their experience of living in care to create their imaginative drama which is shortlisted for a First Light Award.
Lincoln’s Shooting Fish Theatre Company worked with the young people to put the film together, a drama that blurs the line between the dream world and real life with a sinister edge.
The company’s Education and Community Outreach Co-Ordinator, Laura Kavanagh, explained how excited one of the film’s stars was at hearing the news.
“After telling Alex about the film being nominated for an award he shouted ‘Yes’ and did a little dance.
“As a result of being involved in the project, Alex is now participating in regular arts activities through youth theatre,” Kavanagh explained.
Nominated in the best drama category, the group will now be judged by the director of The King’s Speech, Tom Hooper, and producer of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, David Heyman.
They will be against two other films from Liverpool and Fife at the awards, on March 5, in London.
Since launching in 2001, First Light enabled over 40,000 budding creative professionals to write, act, shoot, light, direct, construct and produce over 1000 films and media projects.
First Light Chair, Barbara Broccoli, said: “Filmmaking amongst young people across the UK has never been more popular and it is vitally important that young people from all backgrounds have a creative voice.”
The best drama category is sponsored by Ingenious Media who have produced over 70 films, including the highest grossing film of all time, Avatar.
