Welcome to Speke Adventure Playground
-
Conleach Rd, Speke, Liverpool L24 0TR
-
-
Special Projects
Throughout the years we identify special projects that are extraordinary to our regular activities and instead are targeted at key issues or delivery themes. These are usually delivered in partnership, support wider initiatives and help link Speke with wider local, regional or national activities. Often delivered in partnership and funded by partner organisations they have a larger impact, often are creative in their approach and enable personal development and learning. The following are examples of the different types of projects and activities we have completed.
SPECIAL PROJECTS
Solidarity: Remembrance - Poppy Project
This represents the conclusion of our Solidarity themed programme which was kickstarted by Liverpool becoming the host city for Ukraine and then followed by our annual attendance at Liverpool Pride. This final instalment saw our young people create a public art installation using recycled bottles and involving wider participation from the local community. Inspired by the 'Wave and Weeping Window poppies', conceived by artist Paul Cummins and designer Tom Piper, this was our interpretation of this iconic art piece, which enabled young people to understand more around Remembrance and why it's still important today.
All three solidarity themed projects were united by the same principles; exploration, understanding, acceptance, resilience and peace.
Solidarity: Eurovision & Ukraine
Speke children have delivered a creative project working with a local artist to deliver a bamboo tower that they decorated with art pieces, hearts and ribbons to support Liverpool as Eurovision host city on behalf of Ukraine. This beacon, launched on 9th May, complements the city's wider Eurovision events and kickstarts a programme of activities that will educate and celebrate Ukraine, culture and music. This is the first of three flagship projects that will further explore 'solidarity' in different contexts.
Speketales Literacy Project - The Mysterious Door ...!
Welcome to “The Speketales Project,” a literary piece crafted by the brilliant minds of our community’s children. In the following pages, you will embark on a magical adventure, one that began with the simple question: What makes us feel safe and secure? As you flip through these pages, be prepared to enter the shared experiences, dreams, and the collective spirit of the children of The Venny. If you click on the image then you are then able to read all the stories published.
Speke Out Against Crime - Touring Library Exhibition - 2023
Launched by the High Sheriff of Merseyside in February 2023 at Parklands, the young people of Speke have created a powerful exhibition that showcases their work, challenging knife crime, gun and gang culture whilst supporting wider diversity. This platform gives often unheard younger people a voice and demonstrates their understanding, learning and views on this subject matter.
The exhibition will tour north and central Liverpool before its final stop at Central Library in the City Centre.
The World Reimagined 2022
This globe was created by our young people working with local artist Patricia McDonald. The art piece invites its audience to observe a visual representation demonstrating the learning undertaken as the children explored; the slave trade, colonialism, black history and cultural identity by reflecting on both people and place and discovering the links that exist between their neighbourhood, their city and the world. This was part of a national arts education project entitled the World Reimagined to transform how we understand the Transatlantic Slave Trade and its impact on society.
Liverpool Pride March 2022
The Liverpool Pride March provides a positive experience to learn and understand about acceptance and enables the young people to participate in a public march to protest against homophobia in all its forms. The young people create banners and costumes, which have included a parade of glittering angle wings. This is followed by our own Venny Pride that promotes love and which includes our infamous rainbow paint fight that is always popular.
Protest Art 2021
This heart sculpture was created by our young people working with renowned international artist Gina Czarnecki. The sculpture aims to stir , intrigue and invite the observer to explore both the physical and emotional impacts knife crime has on victims, families and society as a whole. The young people discussed knives and crime in great detail and explored whether all knives were bad or was it how they were used that was the problem? The sculpture was created from these discussion and merged their ideas of the story of the sword and the stone, an emoji style broken heart representing the impact on the family and a biological heart showing the hurt to the victim. The young people, with the approval of Brandon’s family have dedicated this sculpture to his memory after he was tragically murdered in a gang related knife attack in 2018. Brandon was only 17 when he died.
TATE Liverpool - Speke Past and Present 2019
Young members and the staff from Speke Adventure Playground became curators, guiding interested visitors through a landscape of words and image, encouraging them to explore beliefs about Speke; crime, identity, people, social inclusion and social exclusion, sharing memories and thoughts and encouraging people to add content to the wider debate and dialogue.
City of Light 2019
Using the simplest materials of paper, sticks and stories, City of Light was a public space for reflection on local and global experiences of migration, home and belonging. This was a public exhibition creating a spectacular floating city of lanterns. The Venny Children participated in creating latent that were included in the final display.
Venny Video Archive
Venny Art Critics - BBC North West Art Explora Mobile Museum - 2023
Celebrating arts, culture and diversity the young people of Speke visited the MuMo touring museum who are working in collaboration with Tate to take art into the community. Featured on BBC North West the Venny kids turned art critics gave their unique perspectives on specific art pieces.
Hurt Words - Don't Care 2022
Written and produced by our young people working with professional artist, Curtis Watts to explore the lyrical content of music and understand the negative use of language and glorification of crime, hate, gangs, abuse, intolerance and anti-social behaviour. They then wrote their own song (rap) that reversed this trend sending a positive message to young-people and the wider community. wider.
Hero's and Villains
Young people from Speke worked with artist Curtis Watts to explore anger management and self-awareness by understanding what triggers aggressive behaviour. Workshops deployed different art forms; poetry, writing, film and music which created content. This was then interpreted to create a short film that captures their learning.
Speke-Ella - Venny Panto 2019
Speke-Ella is searching for love but will she find it? Speke Adventure Playground presents its first pantomime and invites you to enjoy this trailer.
Beautiful Creatures Video 2018
A fairytale based on a story by Lady Sianne that was interpreted by professional artist Ruth Dillon who worked with our young people and discussed issues surrounding diversity and identity, within a wider story of good succeeding over evil.
Click the image to watch the video.
Gangs in Liverpool 2017
A film produced bu our young people working with Collective Encounters to explore gang crime through the eyes of local young people.
Click the image to watch the video.
Eat Well : Stay Fit 2015
Health Video produced by the young people of Speke in partnership with Collective Encounters.
Click the image to watch the video.
Venny Remembered - 40 Years Old
Celebrating 40 Years of serving local young people from Speke.
Click the image to watch the video.
I'm In The Venny Get Me Out of Here
Our young people experienced jungle games, creatures and edible delights!
Click the image to watch the video.
Speke Out Against Crime - Annual Programme
Speke celebrates an annual programme of special projects and activities that celebrated 'Speke Out Against Crime'! 2018
Click the image to watch the video.
Speke Out Against Bullying
Young people from Speke Adventure Playground explore bullying and what it means to them.
Click the image to watch the video.
The Venny Goes West - 1970's Footage
In the 70's Speke Adventure Playground went West! This is a reedited trailer of video footage taken in the 1970's showing the longevity and breadth of our work in Speke.
Click the image to watch the video.
