The Future Monologues
Students at City College Norwich have been turning their ambitions, passions and dreams into words, recording monologues of their lives, which have been recently broadcast on Future Radio as part of a course increasing self confidence and employment chances in the future.
The students, all aged between 15-25 years, previously struggled with, and faced exclusion from mainstream school. In their recordings (broadcast on Platform ( Future Radio’s arts programme, which you can listen to again at www.futureradio.co.uk/platform) they share their inner-most personal feelings; experiences of their lives so far; their fantasies and aspirations for the future.
Course student, Scott, aged 17, said: "I ended up getting permanently expelled (from school). I am currently studying performing arts at City College - you know when you get that feeling that you want to achieve something in life, well that's what I want to do. I have really enjoyed writing this autobiography and have been really motivated to write stuff on my own, before I wouldn't have, and I thought I had not got anything to say and now I have found out things about my life I didn't realise before.”
Future Radio station manager, Tom Buckham, said: “This is exactly what Future Radio is about – fully inclusive and involving people of all ages and experience. The Platform arts output allows us to cover a wide spectrum of arts, from the spoken word, cabaret, poetry and new writing; including the monologues and our recent production of Hamlet.”
College sessional lecturer in drama and performing arts, Rebecca Chapman, said: “Recording the monologues for radio has been a different way for the students to freely express themselves. Rather than writing, which can be hard and difficult for some, we have brought them to life on radio. The students have been wonderful, they have a real determination to succeed, I admire them, and how they really want to get out of where they were.”
The monologues include music, sound effects, singing and jingles. They hear the student’s talk about a wide range of interests, including Egypt, where one student’s grandfather was based in the army; ambitions to be a choreographer and dancer; wildlife; film directing and more.
The monologues have been recorded as part of a full time Foundation Studies course at the College. Over the year, the Introductory Diploma in Performing Arts part of the course aims to increase the student’s self-confidence, self-respect, communication and teamwork skills, preparing them for work or further education. City College Norwich, Foundation Studies Head of School, Alan Cracknell has seen the group at work, he said: “This work requires great determination and concentration to work successfully. The students should rightly feel very pleased and proud.”
Funding: Recording of the monologues has been made possible with funding from the Arts Council for arts on Future Radio
Click here to go to the podcast
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