21.08.2013
Teenagers today have grown up with devolution as a fact of life and a new BBC documentary, which culminates at the Festival of Politics on Sunday 25 August, explores what this means for nine teenagers from across the UK.
The three-part BBC radio series, entitled UK Today, will look at the lives, identities and ambitions of nine teenagers - three from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The series will conclude with a public workshop at this year’s Festival of Politics involving the nine teenagers and their mentor, the renowned theatre director Jeremy Weller.
Scottish Parliament Presiding Officer, the Rt. Hon. Tricia Marwick MSP said:
“This year’s Festival of Politics is designed to stimulate discussion about the future of Scotland and the society we wish to live in. The teenagers taking part in this documentary have grown up with devolution and so they are well placed to bring a unique perspective to the debate.”
Esme Kennedy, BBC Radio Scotland producer said:
“We are delighted to be part of the Festival of Politics and I am sure the events will inspire our group of teenagers as they explore both what unites them and what separates them.”
The public workshop will take place at 1pm on Sunday 25 August at the Festival of Politics. UK Today will be broadcast on Radio 4 from September 30 and on Radio Scotland in November.
Background
Brief biographies of all the participants are available on request.
Here are the details of the Scottish participants.
- Annie Lennox is 16 years old and from Huntly, Aberdeenshire. She is a keen Scottish traditional musician whose fiddle, piano and clarsach- playing has taken her across the country. Other than playing music, she loves chemistry and travel.
- Gaelan Miller is 16 years old and lives in Shetland where he is working towards attaining a building apprenticeship. He plays rugby and enjoys playing traditional Shetland music and listening to heavy metal and folk metal.
- Natalie Curran is 16 years old and lives in Glasgow. She adores music, dance, books, making jewellery, shopping, debating and going bowling. Despite losing her sight when she was eight years old, due to a brain tumour, Natalie is determined to get to university and to live a full and independent life.
The Festival of Politics partners are Carnegie UK Trust and Cameron Presentations.