Devon arts charity celebrates 20 years
A Devon arts education charity that has worked with more than 170,000 children and young people is celebrating its 20th anniversary.
Daisi works across Devon, Torbay and the wider South West to enable young people to enjoy the best quality creative arts experiences.
Daisi will celebrate its anniversary with a reception at St Stephen’s Church in Exeter High Street next Tuesday and the launch of a series of exhibitions and digitally interactive projects in the Phoenix, a vacant shop in Princesshay and in the church itself.
Re-boot, Uncovering Exeter's Layers of History, showcases the work of over 400 of Exeter's young people from St Luke’s College, Exeter College, and Redhills, Ide, St Sidwell’s, Kenn, Kenton, Clyst St Mary, Stoke Canon, Doddiscombesleigh and Whimple Primary Schools along with the WESC Foundation, the Atkinson School, the Pelican Project, Libraries Unlimited, St Nicholas Priory, Exeter Cathedral and the 10th Exeter Brownies.
They have created a display for the window of the former ELK shop in Paris Street and exhibits for St Stephen’s Church which include an historic wooden street scene and large shrines based on Roman house gods made of card.
The Rivers of the World project is currently on show in the Phoenix and that involved pupils from Exeter Deaf Academy, St Peter's School, St Luke’s College, Dawlish College, the Atkinson School and the Steiner Academy.
The young people have also created a series of walks around Cathedral Green telling the Apothecary’s Tale about how the monks set up a competition in the Middle Ages to test if any of the local healers’ folk remedies actually worked.
Daisi Director Liz Hill said: “We create and promote inspiring artistic and cultural experiences which enable more children and young people to access the transformative and inclusive power of the arts.
“Such experiences should sit at the very heart of young people’s lives and learning - sparking their imaginations, supporting their well-being and self-esteem and helping them to observe and explore the world around them.
“We work with talented, professional artists across all art forms – from animation and environmental sculpture through to music, dance, drama, visual arts and literature – to bring high-quality, creative, exciting experiences into a broad range of settings in schools and non-formal settings.”
Re-boot is supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, Devon Education Fund and Tozers LLP.
