An arts project is taking place in Stockton on Tees which aims to explore the pressures and choices around pregnancy and motherhood at a young age.
A series of workshops exploring and developing the themes of Identity and Aspiration using creative writing and digital technology are taking place at the moment leading up to the production of a play and poetry performance at the Arc, Stockton on Wednesday 5th September at 2.00 pm. The workshops are being co-ordinated by Tees Valley Arts and supported by the Teenage Pregnancy Support Service.
The participants are being guided by the writers Bob Beagrie and Andy Willoughby who worked on the book ‘Walking the Walk’ with some of the group in an earlier project. The participants are being encouraged to use photographs and memories of their experience of teenage pregnancy as inspiration and will then use the text created to produce visual pieces led by a digital artist.
Kit Turner, Project Co-ordinator at Tees Valley Arts said “The project has built upon previous creative writing work with teenagers in Stockton-on-Tees and has given the group the opportunity to further explore issues and to develop skills in digital art.
“Showcasing the work produced at the Arc in Stockton will increase confidence and aspiration levels and also raise awareness in the wider community of the often difficult issues surrounding teenage pregnancy”