High Sheriff drops in to inspire Hull youngsters
Youngsters from Hull Children’s University were told to reach for the sky when they were treated to a visit by the High Sheriff of the East Riding of Yorkshire
Digitull is a digital platform where schools in the East Riding can showcase their pupils’ creative talent.
The innovative project is a collaboration between Hull UK City of Culture 2017, Hull Children’s University and web development agency Forward Thinker.
They kicked off 2017 with a short, thought-provoking video of children from across the city telling viewers about “my Hull”.
Now they aim to show the rest of the world what the city’s next generation can do.
Natasha Banke, Director of Hull Children’s University, explains that the inspiration for the project came from their mission to raise children’s aspirations and create a better future for the city:
“Hull has a high percentage of unemployment, and 1 in 3 children grow up living in poverty.”
“We as a charity aim to change this for the better, allowing young people to form their own aspirations. Digitull will play a huge part of that during 2017.”
Guy Wallace, Managing Director of Forward Thinker, is also excited about what the platform will mean to young children in the area:
“It’s about finding out what Hull means to them,” he tells us.
“It’s vital to understand that every young person has a different view of the place they call home. Digitull provides a great opportunity to express themselves and their view of the city.”
So, how does it work?
Primary and secondary schools in the East Riding area can sign up during the 16/17 academic year.
The project allows pupils to upload their work to an online platform. This can be accessed 24/7 on a desktop computer, laptop, tablet or mobile. The work is then checked over and published by a trained member of staff.
“Not only does Digitull bestow young people with a sense of empowerment,” says Guy, “it also invites parents and carers to engage with what the children are working on.”
Natasha is in full agreement: “We want children to share their artwork and feel proud of their city.”
The next couple of weeks will see the launch of Digitull Explore. This is a public platform where people across the globe can view the children’s imagination and ingenuity in one place.
Each school that takes part can share ideas, see what the others are getting up to, and cultivate creativity even further.
“We’re planning on setting different challenges throughout the year in order to really get the kids involved,” says Guy.
“This could be anything from creative writing about local events, a sea shanty about Hull’s past, or a portrait of themselves or someone who they look up to.”
Natasha adds: “People everywhere will be able to digitally view the amazing poems, sculptures, paintings, blogs, videos and other creative content that the children of our city have produced.”
We asked Guy to sum up the platform in a single sentence, and he didn’t disappoint:
“Digitull Explore is a true vision of 2017’s legacy in one place.”
To find more out about Digitull, please visit digitull.co.uk. To discover the work of Hull Children’s University, check out our special feature.