MARGATE.- Turner Contemporary is celebrating securing £28,500 from the Government as part of a ‘learning for pleasure’ innovation spearheaded by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS).

Turner Contemporary - one of over 213 winning projects, will be running a scheme entitled Time of Our Lives with BBC Radio Kent and the University of Kent. This initiative will enable different generations to reflect upon being a teenager, a period of life that is often regarded with fear and suspicion. The project will create greater community cohesion, particularly between people aged over 60 and teenagers, and enable them to learn from each other and develop activities together.

This new and exciting project will enable learners to carry out research in archives and museums, work with BBC Radio Kent to interview people, gather and write stories, organise events, work with artists and people from different generations and ultimately contribute to a major exhibition exploring the idea of 'Teenage'.

Karen Eslea, Head of Learning at Turner Contemporary said, “I am so delighted to have been awarded this funding. This innovative project will enable us to challenge stereotypes of both older people and teenagers. I hope it will also encourage lots of new people to get involved in the arts, and share their stories, thoughts and memories.”

The funding will also enable four final year students from the Multimedia Technology and Design degree at the University of Kent to attend the sessions in Margate. They will help the groups to record their stories using the latest digital technologies. The students will be supported by their lecturers, Ania Bobrowicz, and Jane Milton from the School of Engineering and Digital Arts in Canterbury. Jane Milton, a lecturer in Film and Video Production, said, “this is a great opportunity for our students to gain experience of working with clients and local communities and putting their multimedia skills into practice. We’re also delighted to be working with Turner Contemporary in Margate and BBC Radio Kent and look forward to seeing how the project will develop’.

Across the nation, a diverse array of informal adult learning projects will be getting underway, ranging from creative music master classes for people out of work or education, learning adventures for isolated older people and reading opportunities for the over 60s.

This grant is from the £20 million Transformation Fund, launched by Government to offer funding for two innovative informal adult learning projects in England. This brings to life The Learning Revolution, a White Paper presented to Parliament in March 2009.

The projects, many spearheaded by partnerships between public, private and third sector organisations, will help improve mental health, physical well-being, active citizenship and community cohesion, as well as providing a stepping stone towards further learning, qualifications and employment for many people.

Kevin Brennan, Minister for Further Education, Skills and Consumer Affairs, said:

“We’re happy to announce 213 successful recipients of our Transformation Fund grants, awarded in the face of stiff competition from a field of 1,400 applications. With projects ranging from creative writing and music to reading and art, it’s encouraging to see so many imaginative ideas for giving adults more opportunities to learn for the love of it.”

“The benefits of learning for pleasure in an informal setting are wide-ranging, and they benefit the community as well as the individual. I hope that many people will develop the confidence and the local connections to take a big step towards a brighter future.”

Informal adult learning encompasses a wide variety of activities and can range from a self-organised reading group in a village hall to a guided visit to nature reserve or stately home. Other Learning Revolution activities include The Learning Revolution Festival: a month-long celebration of informal adult learning that kicks off in October 2009.