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Latest News from Minerva HQ

Minerva Radio Launches

In a slight departure from our usual work, we have this year partnered with Calday Media to create a new online community radio station, Minerva Radio. Currently the station hosts Folkscene, formerly part of the BBC Radio Merseyside portfolio and the longest running specialist must programme on the network. We are now activity building up the schedule and are keen to hear from anyone with a bright idea for a show or a project. We have a travelling studio that can come to you!
Listen to the station here https://www.minervaradio.uk/ and if you'd like to chat more, get in touch via our contact form.

The Alternative Xmas Stocking Returns

Our annual flagship event returned to St. Mary's Creative Space in Chester on Sunday 10th December with 2 sold out shows giving each of our groups the chance to share pieces that they had created especially for the occasion. We had every possible different angle on Christmassy stories plus refreshments and a chance for parents, young people and friends from all across Cheshire to share the afternoon with one another. As one of our audience members told us some years ago 'It is the official start to Christmas'.

We're now off on our Christmas break with all Youth Theatre groups returning in early January. Please use our Contact Form to enquire about joining us, we have places open in all groups this term.

Work Based Learning with University of Chester

This April, we took on our latest pair of Work Based Learning students from the University of Chester. We have been hosting these students since 2014 and each year it gives us the chance to meet and spend time with fantastic young people who input brilliant ideas and enthusiasm into our work. This year, Jessie and Olivia were no exception and we asked them to write a blog for us about their experiences.

Olivia
Hi! I’m a psychology student and I spent my five-week placement with Minerva Arts as a Project Manager.
My favourite part of this placement was the number of creative visual-based tasks I got to complete, I created posters for art workshops and competitions, creative writing workshops, and a drama festival. I also particularly liked creating the backdrops to coincide with the children’s Hades School of Magic play.
Some of the less creative tasks I completed during this placement included research-based tasks such as searching for venues, researching schools near the venues and where to advertise what was on. I also helped draft an application form for the Holiday Activities and Food grant which included calculating a full budget to apply for.
As somebody with an anxiety disorder it was pleasant to spend my time here. All the staff were extremely kind, with both their speaking and text tone coming across very friendly, which eased my anxiety and allowed me to reach out for help when I needed it and to produce the best quality of work I could do.
Overall, I think Minerva Arts is a fantastic company and charity to work with and I consider myself quite lucky that I got to have this experience.

Jessie
Hey! I am currently studying Musical Theatre and I have just completed my 5-week placement with Minerva Arts as one of their project managers.

Throughout my placement I got to be involved in a wide range of projects with tasks ranging from research to designing and creating visuals for the youth theatre. One of my favourite opportunities was being able to help with new projects and watching them grow.

The staff have been very warm and welcoming from the start and made me feel very comfortable whilst working with them. They always encouraged me to come up with new ideas and allowed me to be as creative as I wanted to be.

I think Minerva Arts is an amazing opportunity with an amazing team behind it. I am very grateful and thankful that I got the chance to work with them all.

Virtual and Live Work Experience projects

Throughout 2020-22 we offered a range of virtual work experience placements to Year 10 and Year 12 students and our doors have remained open to students throughout 2021, culminating in a brilliant 'live brief' style project in the last week of the Autumn term with lovely Year 12 students at Helsby High School.

If you are a Year 10 student, in Further Education or a Level 5 university student and you are looking for a virtual work experience placement this year, get in touch and we will organise a virtual placement for you. There is more info on our Work Experience and Volunteering page and you can get in touch to start a conversation.

New Youth Theatre Case Study

This year, we were grateful to be supported by Sanctuary Housing to run our Lache Youth Theatre group. As part of their support to us, they requested that we send them a case study after the year of funding had completed to help share with them the impact that their funding was having on the young people and the community in Lache. Jude got to work and produced a brilliant write-up of the journey that one of our members has been on since she joined at the start of the pilot project back in September 2018. We loved it so much we thought we'd share it and you can now view it on out Tumblr blog right here.

Fundraising

We have recently stepped up our efforts to diversify our revenue streams to support the huge expansion that we have had between 2018 and 2021. Part of this is starting out in the world of online fundraising. We are now live on shopping platform Easyfundraising. We are also using donations platform Local Giving for campaigns throughout the year. You can find out more about our fundraising efforts and see how you can get involved and support our work on our brand new Fundraising page right here.