Michelle Gayle visits Djanogly City Academy, Nottingham
In February, musician and actress Michelle Gayle visited Djanogly City Academy, who have been working with Creative Partnerships since April 2006. She spoke to a group of Year 9, 10 and 11 girls who have been working with drama practitioner Rosie Fyffe to challenge some of their negative attitudes to education and school. The work is part of BPAP, the Black Pupils' Achievement Project, which aims to raise the attainment of Black African, Black Caribbean and mixed heritage students. Michelle chatted to the girls about how she became a professional actress and musician and how learning to work hard at school helped her fulfill her ambitions. The students expressed their own desires to become lawyers, pediatricians and teachers.
Michelle was presented with a CD recorded by the students and she offered to give her opinion at a later date, as the girls were too shy to play the CD in public! One brave student sang one of her own songs to Michelle, to much encouragement and praise.
Kemet Radio 97.5 FM (Nottingham's new urban radio station) heard about the visit and invited the girls, Rosie Fyffe and the Local Authority Coordinator of the Black Pupils' Achievement Programme to guest on a show to talk about their music and Michelle's visit.
The Black Pupils’ Achievement project aims to work in partnership with local authorities and schools to raise the attainment of Black African, Black Caribbean and mixed heritage pupils and to contribute to raising the overall attainment in locally and nationally.) For more information visit the DfES standards site
Michelle Gayle is currently touring in theatre production 'Mum's The Word'