The culmination of a series of art based projects designed to give young people across Gloucestershire a voice, allowing them to express their experiences of last summer’s floods, was be unveiled at a special event at the National Waterways Museum Gloucester Docks on Thursday 17 July 2008.

The projects, funded by Gloucestershire County Council and run by Fairgame Theatre and Stroud Theatre Company, included the design by students from Kingsholm Primary School of a commemorative window made by local artist Imogen Harvey-Lewis, which will be permanently installed at the National Waterways Museum later this year.

A short film made by students from Gloucestershire College, inspired by their own experiences during the events of last July, was premiered at the event. Students from the Alderman Knight School in Tewkesbury also commemorated their own memories by performing a song, written in collaboration with local musician and composer Pete Rosser.

The evening ended with a performance of ‘The Higher Ground’, a new piece of theatre performed and produced by Stroud Theatre Company, drawing on the experiences of those affected by last year’s floods.

Speaking about the impact these unique arts projects have had on the young people who have taken part, Fairgame Theatre’s Artistic Director Sarah Blower said: “Through our work on these projects we have come to appreciate the diverse views children and young people hold about what happened last year. Seeing the floods through their eyes puts a completely different perspective on the experience which will live on in their memories for years to come”.