Estelle Morris, Minister for the Arts, visited Mount Hawke SK8 Park near Truro, to see rehearsals for a new project using skateboarding, digital visuals and music to develop creative teaching and learning that aims to impact on in-school achievement for 12-16 year olds.

The project, entitled d-SK8 - Live & Digital, is part of a Youth Sport Trust pilot project in collaboration with Creative Partnerships Cornwall, Cornwall Youth Music Action Zone, Youth Music, CPR Success Zone and Mount Hawke Skate Park.

Creative Partnerships works to give school children throughout England the opportunity to develop their potential, ambition, creativity and imagination through sustainable partnerships with creative and cultural organisations, businesses and individuals.

The scheme is currently working in 16 areas, including Cornwall, and has been given financial investment to roll out to a further 20 areas by 2006. Plymouth is the next region in the South West to benefit from the scheme later this year.

The project involves 25 young people from the Camborne Pool Redruth Success Zone (the director of which, Paul Hanbury, also met Ms Morris on Tuesday), and Penryn Sports College, as well as some from Penair and Mullion Schools. In the summer term after this particular phase is complete, the focus shifts to story, filmmaking and music soundtracks for the young people.

Project animateur is Simon Harvey (theatre director/actor and self-confessed skateboard fanatic) from Truro. Visuals are led by Tom Harding, of AV3 Media (Hayle); Film maker Laura Hardman (Lostwithiel); digital visual artist Naomi Ross (Saltash). Musicians include Steve Cantrill, Rob Elton, Phil Innes (Truro), Niall Nash (Devoran), Glen Pike, Lucetta Radcliffe, and Laura Beth Roberts.

Other key partners include Lindsey Hall, creative director of Creative Partnerships; Cassiel Dennis, Digital Media Development Manager with Creative Partnerships; Amanda Harris, director of KEAP; Chris Warner, director of Cornwall Youth Music Action Zone; Gilly Rudling, representing Youth Music; Deanna Bullivant, Director of Mount Hawke SK8 Park; Elaine Fenton, SK8 Project evaluator and researcher; and Derek Kitt, Chair of CYMAZ and County Music Advisor, among others.