Highland Cultural Pledge To Children

23rd January 2006

Every school pupil in Highland will be given the chance to participate in a cultural activity during 2007 as part of a cultural pledge being made by The Highland Council in celebrating Highland 2007 ~ the year Scotland celebrates Highland culture. Teachers and Community Learning and Leisure staff will be working with Pupil Councils to identify a range of topics and potential activities which might form part of the Pledge to the 31,000 Highland pupils.

It is intended that the pledge be made up of two parts. Part one will mainly be delivered through the Council's own staff and include taking part in a performance or a heritage project, such as a heritage fair; trying a new sport or improving language skills in Gaelic. Pledges under part two will allow community school groups (a secondary school and its associated primary schools) to select from a menu of activities, such as watching a performance by professional actors, dancers or musicians; trying a new generation sport, such as snowboarding or street dance; taking part in local Edinburgh Science Festival workshops; recording a radio programme.

All activities are to fit in with the six themes of Highland 2007 namely arts, environment, heritage, language, science and Sport.

£1 million in-kind ~mainstream~ support has been allocated from the Council to the Pledge. In addition £500,000 has been allocated in cash from the Highland 2007 budget, allowing for an average of £17,500 to be allocated per community school cluster. Sponsorship is currently being sought to boost this figure.

Councillor Andy Anderson, Chairman of the Education Culture and Sport Committee who is a member of the Highland 2007 Board of Directors, said: "The Cultural Pledge is one of the key legacy elements of Highland 2007. During 2007, the pledges delivered will be evaluated and those deemed most successful and able to be maintained will be proposed for adoption in the longer term. We are seeking to offer consistency of opportunity across the Highlands but with an element of choice to enable community school groups to tailor the pledge with activities deemed especially appropriate to their area.

"Through a series of bursaries we may be able to give young people the opportunity to apply for funding to develop skills within the themes of Highland 2007."