#edp24

A great piece on EDP24 talking about some of the great somewhereto_ projects taking place in the East of England, including Frankie Bainbridge's architectural exhibition Plot One.

somewhereto_ is a project funded by Legacy Trust UK, an independent charity set up to help build a lasting cultural and sporting legacy from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games across the UK.

As part of the scheme, space is found for people aged between 16 to 25 to help fulfil their passion, whether it is related to sports, arts or culture.

The interest can be anything from playing basketball or football to organising a dance group.

somewhereto_ shows the young people where the spaces are and puts them in touch with the space holders.

It is hoped the scheme will help benefit the community as well as the young people involved.

One example of the scheme is an exhibition curated by recent architecture graduate Frankie Bainbridge.

The John Jarrold Trust donated the space at St James Court to the 23 year old, whose exhibition Plot_One, part of the Festival of Architecture, explores the relationships between art and the built environment.

His exhibition, which is the first he has curated, is open until 4pm today. Mr Bainbridge, who lives in Earlham Road, Norwich, said: “somewhereto_ and John Jarrold Trust have supported me with everything, they have been amazing.

“They have helped with marketing and linked me up with relevant groups and contacts.

“Curating the exhibition has been incredibly stressful at times but it’s been really good fun.

“It’s definitely been an interesting experience and something I would do again.”

somewhereto_ is currently supporting about 17 young people across the six counties in the east of England and by July 2012 hopes to have worked with at least 600 young people.

Other youngsters currently being supported by the scheme include Meg Douglas-Ellis, who is really interested in photography and wanted to put on a fashion show.

somewhereto_ put her in touch with Harrington Photography in Norwich, who have given her the opportunity to use a professional studio.

Colin Clarke, from Horstead, just north of Norwich, is also being supported by the initiative. He is organising his own cinema in conjunction with Village Screen at the Battle of Britain Memorial Hall in the village.

Elly Wilson, East England regional coordinator for somewhereto_ said: “The potential for somewhereto_ is massive because it can be arts, culture or sports. The space can be almost anything – virtual space within a publication, such as a newspaper or it can be more physical space, such as sports facilities which are under-used. The idea is to create better relationships between young people and space holders or the community. That relationship can only benefit the young person and the community.

“Frankie is a fantastic example of how it can work and we are really proud of him. He has done an amazing job. It’s about enabling young people to do great things they wouldn’t otherwise be able to do if they didn’t have the space to do them.”

somewhereto_ is run in partnership with Channel 4 and Livity.