Children help make props for festival

Children from primary schools around Great Yarmouth helped create flags for a parade during the Out There Festival

Children have been helping create props for a festival of circus and street arts in a Norfolk town.

The Out There Festival has moved from September to May, to enable it to work more closely with schools.

Hundreds of children from local primary schools have made flags for a procession which will form part of the event.

Out There Arts said the project helped engage both young people and parents to be inspired by culture.

Sophia says the project allowed children to use paint and "mess up our hands"

Children from Ormiston Herman Academy in Gorleston took part in workshops on Thursday.

Sophia said: "It's very exciting because we get to paint and mess up our hands.

"If I show my work to my family they might be impressed and I might be very proud of myself."

Rosie says she worked really hard to make her patterns stand out

Rosie said they used many techniques to create their flags using different materials to create patterns on the cloth.

She added: "We've put in so much effort just to make all this. This is really cool and really fun.

"We've dabbed it very carefully to make sure our prints showed up very well and added some cool bubble effects with bubble wrap and we've got loads of designs."

Taraneh Jahanpour, from Out There Arts, says engaging children in the festival means parents are more likely to watch shows

Taraneh Jahanpour, the community and engagement worker for Out There Arts, working in an area of social deprivation meant sometimes it is hard to get adults to engage.

She said: "We're going to have hundreds of flags at the festival and their designs are going to be printed onto banners and it really helps to bring colour to the festival.

"[But] it's the children's enthusiasm and connection to the festival will bring the rest of the family... to encourage participation, and a love and interest in the arts for generations, hopefully."

East Norfolk Sixth Form College principal Dr Catherine Richards says the festival workshops can help children explore careers in the arts

East Norfolk Sixth Form College hosted the workshops during the week which involved 10 primary schools across the area.

Principal Dr Catherine Richards said as well as being fun, children could be inspired into creative industry careers.

"While it's been absolutely fantastic having all the primary school children and they bring such energy, there's also a more serious side," she said.

"That is making sure our children know that there are great careers in creative subjects.

"There are so many opportunities for them in terms of jobs, careers and education for the future and I'm really excited about that."