Shropshire Libraries wins award for Picture This project

A young people’s arts project run by Shropshire Libraries and Ignition CIC has won the Bronze Marketing Excellence Award 2017 from Chartered Institute of Librarians and Information Professionals’ Publicity and Public Relations Group.

Award-winning Picture This project

Picture This, funded by Arts Council England, toured secondary schools with an original piece of forum theatre exploring and challenging over 900 young people’s perception of libraries. This was followed up by creative arts workshops in the six largest libraries where, over two days in the summer holidays, the 60 young people (aged 11-14 years) wrote stories, created sets and performed their own theatre pieces to live audiences. A touring exhibition was created from the six performances which visited libraries during the autumn 2016.

The exciting marketing strategy which attracted this award used the forum theatre pieces, QR codes and creative images to spark interest in the project and resulted in enthusiastic take-up of the workshops.

Marketing excellence award

Lezley Picton, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for culture and leisure, said:

“It is fantastic that the great work that Shropshire Libraries do is recognised nationally. The Picture This project was a wonderful example of libraries working with partners to offer creative opportunities to young people in Shropshire.”

Annabel Gittins, library development manager, said:

“It is very exciting to have this recognition. The hard work in the libraries and from our partners Ignition certainly paid off last summer. We saw immediate returns on it in the enthusiasm of the young people taking part, but to have this official recognition gives us confidence to develop our ideas further and continue the successful partnership.”

To find out more about this project or to explore the opportunities that there are to work with Shropshire Libraries contact library.support@shropshire.gov.uk.