arts|generate
Arts Council England
Banner: Billboard project - filming on location
Photographer: Richard Heeps

Billboard Lab side view of entrance
Billboard LAB
Photographer: Richard Heeps
Billboard project - three students filming outside

Billboard

Getting young people involved in regeneration

Developed by Creative Partnerships and FutureCity Arts, Billboard was a unique creative regeneration project which provided the impetus for young people to become community reporters, investigators and champions for positive change.

The Billboard Lab, a customised 16-tonne red shipping container that transforms into a portable fully-fitted media studio, is the first of its kind in the country.  It gives young people an opportunity to develop their creative skills, explore regeneration issues and engage with local communities by creating films, slogans, news reports and video messages about the regeneration of the Thames Gateway.

The project was built around a partnership between Creative Partnerships Thames Gateway, Futurecity, Basildon District Council and Southend and Thurrock Unitary Authorities, with media partners Channel 4/Talent.  Billboard was supported by Arts Council England, East and the East of England Development Agency.

The Billboard Project was launched at the Thames Gateway Forum, in November 2006, at London’s Excel Centre, where the Lab was unveiled for the first time.  During the Forum, members of Thurrock Youth Cabinet were mentored by a professional production team from Channel 4 Television’s 4Talent in the art of programme making and broadcast journalism, to research and conduct interviews with stakeholders and policy-makers including Government ministers, and created a film using the production facilities in the Lab. 

The Billboard website www.billboardproject.co.uk was designed to showcase work produced during the project and contains an archive of the ideas and projects created by young people during the Billboard workshops. 

During 2007, the Billboard Lab visited schools across south Essex.  The Lab also went to the Tate Modern in London as part of the Architecture Foundation's 'Debate London' event, accompanied by some of the young practitioners.  The Lab is currently located at Shoeburyness High School in Southend, Essex.

 

 

 

 

Documents

Art forms

  • Film / Video

Themes

  • Young people

Interventions

  • New ways of working with LAs

Target groups

  • Secondary school age (11-16)
Further explanation of arts|generate categories