29 November 2006

Dundee Youngsters Urged to 'Go for It' at GYPD 2

PHOTO OPPORTUNITY - 12.30 PM, Friday December 1st
Dundee University Students' Association (Balfour Place entrance)
Dundee Utd players and Karen B welcome youngsters to GYPD 2

Young people in Dundee are being given the chance to discover all the best their city has to offer in music, sport, culture, health and education at a special event staged across the city centre on Friday December 1st.

`Go Young People Dundee 2’ is expected to attract hundreds of people to venues at the Universities of Dundee and Abertay, Dundee Contemporary Arts and the Sensation Science Centre.

Building on the success of the first `Go Young People Dundee held last year, GYPD 2 is designed to encourage young Dundonians of secondary school age to find out more about what their home city has to offer.

The day will give city youngsters the chance to sample a range of activities, find out about learning opportunities, careers, health issues and catch a glimpse of life on a university campus. They will also have chance to meet local celebrities from Radio Tay, Dundee United and the Texol Stars ice hockey team.

Based mainly in and around the city’s Cultural Quarter - with a focus on Dundee University Students’ Association building and the Bonar Hall, the comprehensive programme of events includes drama, dance, fashion and DJ workshops, exhibitions, live local bands, video games, films, cookery demonstrations, sports taster sessions and an evening disco. Abertay University will also host a range of activities including street football, film-making, computer games and practising sleuthing skills in the Scenes of Crime House forensics training facility.

Professor Geoff Ward from Dundee University, who chaired the GYPD 2 Planning Group, said he hoped the day would encourage young people to think about the range of opportunities open to them.

"We want to bring young people from all over Dundee to the university campus and the Cultural Quarter and make the links between the city, the university, Dundee College and all the Arts-based and other organizations," said Professor Ward. "It is about saying to youngsters - this area is part of your city and it is here for you to explore and enjoy, to work and play and study in."

"It is about building confidence and self-esteem and giving young people the ability to make the most of their city. It is also about giving young people a clearer picture of the fantastic educational opportunities that exist here."

"We particularly want to reach those who might think that university is not for people like them. By hosting some of the events in DUSA and Abertay University we hope to help make imagining life as a student a more real possibility. Our message is come and have a look, find out for yourself what is on offer and what you can achieve and have some great fun in the process. There are taster classes and demonstrations on everything from music, dance and cookery to fashion and Japanese brush calligraphy"

Councillor Jill Shimi, chair of the Dundee Partnership, said: "This second Go Young People Dundee event is an exciting way to inspire and educate our youngsters at the same time."

"The organisers have put together a tremendous day of events that covers a wide range of activities. I am sure that the young people who attend will discover many new things and will take their experiences forward into their futures."

Stewart Murdoch, Director of Leisure and Communities for Dundee City Council, added that the event was aimed at encouraging youngsters in the city to 'go for it.'

"We want to promote that attitude and we’re hoping that the workshops and different events on offer will help do that."

Free entry to Dundee Contemporary Arts and Sensation is also on offer to those attending the event, which is being held on a school-in-service day.

Two Honours students from the Duncan of Jordanstone College led the design work for the free t-shirts for the participants and the promotional material for the event.

The event has been promoted through the city’s secondary schools, The Corner and Careers Scotland and a wide range of community facilities.

Organised under the auspices of the Dundee Partnership and involving the University, Dundee City Council, Careers Scotland, Abertay University, Dundee College, Dundee Rep, DCA, Sensation, NHS Tayside, Fife & Tayside Wider Access Forum and a wide variety of voluntary sector partners.

NOTES TO EDITORS

There will be opportunities to take photographs of the different events throughout the day.

The event starts at 11am and finishes at 4pm with an evening disco at the Shore from 7 to 10pm.

For more information visit the Go Young People Dundee 2 website at http://www.gypd.org/

The Dundee Partnership is the local Community Planning Partnership for the city. Established under the Local Government Scotland Act, it brings together all public sector agencies and has representation from key voluntary sector, private sector and community partners.

For media enquiries contact:

Roddy Isles
Head, Press Office
University of Dundee
Nethergate Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384910
E-MAIL: r.isles@dundee.ac.uk