Creative sparks
Does your child want to be the next Picasso, JK Rowling or Jamelia? Right
across the country some fantastic opportunities have been created in the
arts.
These range from drama workshops, to photography, circus acts and music.
Getting stuck into these kinds of activities really helps children to
develop their talents, enthusiasm and love of life. To find out more about arts
projects near you, visit the Arts Council England website, or call 0845 300
6200.
Musical youth
Youth Music has given over 800,000 children the chance to get involved with music - from learning the violin to DJ-ing. Most of its projects take place after school, so kids stay off the streets and get more out of life.
Find out more about Youth Music 
from
their website
[External Site] or call 020 7902 1060.
Drawn to it
The Campaign for Drawing organises drawing sessions for children of all ages. They take place right across the country in galleries, museums, science centres and libraries. Children get the chance to try their hand at all types of drawing - experimenting with different materials, from pencils, crayons, charcoal, sand and clay, to digital pictures and fire sculptures.
The Big Draw 2005 runs from 12-19 October - it's a brilliant
opportunity. Find out more about the Big Draw in October at Drawing Power
[External Site] or call 020
7902 1060.
Write away
The BBC's Blast
website
[External Site] has everything you need to express yourself, find your voice, play
with words, scribble and write, write, write.
Headline History
[External Site] is a series
of virtual newspapers from specific periods in history - from Roman Gazette to
the Victorian Times. Children write reports and edit the web newspapers.
At the movies
Tara (8) says: "I thought the workshop was really wicked because you were able to make your own animations."
The British Film Institute in London runs Movie Magic - a programme of children's films, from recent releases, to family classics. They also hold monthly Saturday workshops; giving children aged from 6 to 12 the chance to find out more about making films. They get to make costumes and sets, as well as try their hand at filming.
Research shows that 16 year-olds who play music, read and write for fun are
more successful in later life. They might even make a living from their hobby.
Your child could be the next Steven Spielberg. To book a place at Movie Magic,
call the British Film Institute on 020 7928 3232. You can also find up to date
information about the programmes being run by visiting the BFI's website
[External Site].
