Prize Giving Press Release & Overview
Medway Hall - Tuesday June 17th
Medway Hall - Tuesday June 17th
Over 30 students from 14 different schools received their prizes for their entries in the five competitions set up by the Canaries in a Coal Mine Climate change awareness raising project. The students’ impressive efforts in the five categories showed how effective their creativity and imagination can be when applied to tackling such a challenging issue. Powerful photographs, poems, songs, posters and videos reminded us of the damage we are doing to the planet but also how we can change our habits and wasteful ways of life to make sure we all have a more secure future. Coming at a time of spiralling petrol prices and further climate change based disasters, the messages they conveyed in their various artistic ways was all the more poignant. Most of poetry prize winners read out their poems, all receiving enthusiastic applause. The winning video entry created by three students from Weald of Kent Grammar School was very much admired, and the award ceremony ended with Sam Pope, winner of the Song Composition category giving a very professional performance of his entry ‘Give a Little Back to the World’.
As well as a large number of individual prizes, Weald of Kent Grammar School and Slade Primary School were awarded special school awards for their overall commitment to the project over the course of the whole year. Their students sent in a large and varied number of competition entries, and also responded very positively to all the initiatives and opportunities which the project has fostered since June last year.
Mike Morrison (Tonbridge School), Charlotte Lane (TGS) and David Wallace (Hillview School) hosted the prize giving during which the generosity of many local businesses who had donated so many of the prizes was recognised and appreciated.
Mike Morrison encouraged the audience of prize winners and their families to continue their support for the project which will now move into its second phase, almost certainly one which will seek to build a campaign to change a specific attitude or encourage families to re-think their approach towards, for example, the ever increasing amounts of food being thrown away. The project will also promote some new competitions – one of which will be targeted at Design and Technology Departments in schools as we believe this will give students with fledgling engineering skills he exciting opportunity to invent something practical that really makes a difference. Watch this space.
Post Event Press Release & Overview
Six events in two days more than fulfilled the aims of the Canaries in a Coal Mine Climate Change awareness raising project. The rain did not dampen spirits (even if it curtailed numbers) attending the procession on Saturday afternoon organised by Charlotte Lane (TGS), and the chanting voices of the primary School Children as they walked up the High Street rang out the message of recycle, re-use and review energy use loud and clear. As an expression of youngsters showing concern for their future, it was a poignant message.
On Friday 28th, although Marcus Brigstocke had had to pull out of his eagerly awaited talk at Weald of Kent School (he has promised to come during the Summer term), his replacement Dr Simon Boxall from Southampton University proved an admirable substitute giving a talk about their joint trip to the Arctic as part of the Cape Farewell project which links Scientists and artists in an effort to change attitudes towards Climate Change. Over 350 students from a umber of schools attended the lecture which was enormously informative as well as witty.
Later that morning representatives from over 20 businesses gathered for a Canaries in a Coal Mine lunch at Tonbridge School under the slogan IT CAN BE DONE. This initiative was set up by David Wallace (Hillview School) and latterly John Marshall (Tonbridge School) to reassure businesses concerned about how they might meet Carbon Footprint quotas and limits which are predicted for the future. Simon Boxall welcomed the guests and Paul Turner (Barclays) and a representative from Business in Kent talked about what is already being done and what can be done in the future so that, far from seeing this as an something which business which can only resolve as an additional expense, could be a way for them to save money on their energy bills. The emphasis, as with all the Canaries events, was on positive thinking and action.
In the evening over 160 students form over 10 schools performed dances based around the subject of Global Warming. The performance at the E.M. Forster Theatre, Tonbridge School entitled Global Storming was a sell out and the dances, organised by Gill Chadbon (Hillview School), were performed against a backdrop of the films which had been made by students under the ironic title Ignorance is Bliss as part of the Canaries in a Coal Mine video competition. This was an enormously energetic evening which captured the mix of cooperation, fun and information which has epitomised the Canaries' project's philosophy.
Sandwiched either side of the procession on Saturday were a version of Question Time at the Medway Hall, Angel Centre and the finale, the Save the Planet concert moved for weather reasons indoors to Tonbridge School. The Question Time panelists answered a wide range of questions about the whole subject of Climate Change and the enthusiastic and knowledgeable audience were treated less to the party political point scoring that sometimes characterises the BBC programme but to a genuine and highly informative debate about what is happening now and what needs to happen to secure a stable and bright future for the planet. Caroline Lucas Green MEP was her usual erudite, provocative and highly informed self; Peter Ainsworth MP gave the event an insight into the Conservative position as well as contributing moments of wit to the proceedings, Alan Bullion PPC Sevenoaks for the Lib Dems contributed amongst other things his expertise on Biofuels and how they might be used in the future and David Frame from Oxford University, a Climatology expert provided some very interesting and eye opening perspectives from the science perspective. What emerged was how difficult making decisions that will satisfy all the different constituencies - business, central government, local and international politics - but also that this means we must redouble our efforts to avoid further delays in seeking binding treaties between all nations about the way forward before it is too late.
Rob Smith In Concert (Charlotte Lane)
The concert, headlined by the up and coming Folk, Blues, Rock artists Johnny Flynn proved an excellent well attended finale to the Canaries weekend. 8 bands overall played for just under three hours, again against a backdrop of short films made by pupils about Global Warming. Three's Company played their inimitable jazz, The Audacity brought their fan club and gave the evening a boost of high octane rock half way through but Johnny Flynn stole the show with the final set of original songs from his forthcoming album which draw their inspiration from as wide a range of music as Country, Dylan, traditional Blues and Folk.
Concert Audience (Charlotte Lane)
Canaries in a Coal Mine is a project that brings schools and the community together and will continue its work into the future, drawing more schools under its umbrella and, from May onwards, seek to establish a specific campaign as its focus. In order to do so as effectively as possible, we intend to expand the steering group which at present comprises teachers from Tonbridge School, Tonbridge Grammar School and Hillview School to encompass not only more school representation but also representatives from local Green groups.
A Collection (Charlotte Lane)
17th June 2008
Prizegiving
Tuesday June 17th, 16.15 (doors open 16.20) at the Medway Hall, Angel Centre. Refreshments provided. Click here for a full list of prize winners.
Please not the Question Time video will be available soon. (05/06/08).
2nd June 2008
Tonbridge Council Forum
Tonbridge Council Forum
Charlotte Lane attended the Tonbridge Council Forum at the Angel Centre on the 2nd June 2008 to give an evaluative report on The Canaries In A Coal Mine Festival and to put forward possible ideas for the future. The presentation was well received by all who attended and the Council agreed that they would continue supporting the group with any future plans.
29th March 2008
Day Two: Question Time, March & Concert
- Question Time: The current line up of panellists for QT is Caroline Lucas Green MEP, Norman Baker Lib Dems MP for Lewes, Peter Ainsworth Conservative MP for and from the Univerity of Oxford. Question time begins at 3:00pm at Medway Hall, Angel Centre. Anyone wishing to be part of the audience should email Mike Morrison mim@tonbridge-school.org OR Steve Dawe stevedawe@gn.apc.org. Please send in a question you wish to ask the panel when you apply for a ticket.
- Lantern Procession: The Lantern procession will begin from West kent College Car park. Meet there at 5:30pm. We will process towards the Station Roudabout, then right up the High Street as far as the junction with Bordyke. For advice on banners and lanterns please contact Charlotte Lane (clane@togs.kent.sch.uk) or Mike Morrison (mim@tonbridge-school.org). We are aiming for at least 1000 people on our procession and see it as a chance for family and school parties to join together to express their concern about Climate Change and their belief that something can be done about it.
Primary School pupils, Secondary School students, families, church and green groups will be jining forces to make their dignified lantern procession up the High street on Saturday afternoon. Not too late to join us. Need help with a lantern design or a slogan for your banner? Contact clane@tgs.kent.sch.uk or mim@tonbridge-school.org .
- Save The Planet Concert: Four local bands (including The Audacity & Three's Company) join Johnny Flynn and Josie Jo. Tickets are now on sale. See the poster for details. Book now to guarantee your ticket. Family ticket concessions available. Thanks to the Jackson Foundation whose generous donation of funds has made the concert and other events possible.
Click here (MP3) to the winning entry by Sam Pope. Click here (MP3) to hear another entry by Rob Smith, Ray Yim and Johnny Suart.
Due to uncertain weather conditions this is now to be held at Big School, Tonbridge School. Your tickets for Tonbridge Castle are still valid.
28th March 2008
Day One
- Business Forum Lunch kindly sponsored by the Sheffield Insulation Group
- 'Global Storming' dance event. Over 160 performers from over 10 different schools plus short films especially made for the event as backdrops to the dances. E.M. Forster Theatre, 7:30pm. A creative way to tackle Global Warming. Box Office 01732 304241.
Over 20 South East Businesses have taken up the chance to see how 'IT CAN BE DONE' on Friday at Tonbridge School. How to tackle Carbon Footprint targets is the subject. Over a business lunch, they will hear speakers who will advise and reassure that it doesn't cost the earth to save the earth. Guest speaker Dr Simon Boxal from the Southampton Oceanography Institute.
27th March 2008
KMfm Radio Interview
- Listen out for the Canaries' interview on KMfm - the whole project put into perspective, its aims, hopes and events.
- Sam Pope (winner of the song writing competition) and Rob, Ray and Johnny will be playing at the TGS assembly to promote the concert.
Week Beginning 24th March 2008
Exhibitions of Art and Photography competition winners and highly commended open.
- Age of Stupid: A new film set in 2055 at a time when the planet is in dire straits due to climate change focuses on an old man who is trying to survive but who also lookd back at 2007 when he had the opportunity to do something about climate change. Tonbridge Secondary Students will have the opportunity to see a 'rough-cut' screening in the week beginning March 24th before it is shown at the Cannes film festival.
14th March 2008
Footprintfriends Visit
- Canaries in a Coal Mine joined forces with footprintfriends.com at Slade Primary School to paint the feet of all 315 pupils.
Over 70 Tonbridge School students and some girls from TOGS gave a hand and five large 'banners' of multicoloured footprints were created for the Lantern Procession. Apart from everyone having a lot of fun, it was an original way to emphasise the footprint each and every one of us makes as we go through life, as well as giving the children a memorable way of remembering the concept of a carbon footprint. Further joint projects with Karen at www.footprintfriends.com (where you can see photos of the event at Slade) will be planned as we move Canaries beyond the end of March. (17/03/08)
22nd & 25th February 2008
Deadlines for competition entries.
- Many thanks to all those who entered the various competitions. Winners will be given their prizes on Friday March 28th, and will be notified just before then. Congratulations in particular to Slade Primary School who sent in a large number of poems for the junior writing competition, and to Kent College who also encouraged many of their students to write poems and design posters. (05/03/08).
8th February 2008
Visit by Ben Saunders, polar explorer.
7th February 2008
Visit by Ben Saunders, polar explorer.
- 340 Primary School children and 200 Secondary students were awe-struck by Ben's exploits in reaching the North Pole solo, his confrontation with a polar bear and the fact that some of the trek to the Pole has to swum! The Primary talk especially could have gone on much longer so many of the pupils wanted to ask him questions. We will be making contact with Ben again via satelite phone during late March when he should be on his way to the pole again across the ice this time from the Canadian side. Thanks to Hams Coaches for busing the pupils in to the talk for free. A perfect start to the Canaries project. (05/03/08).
Click here For The Invitation & Ticket Form - EVENT PASSED: ARCHIVE PURPOSES ONLY
