Warwickshire is to be first country or city in the Midlands to
have a ‘Day in the Dome’ at Greenwich.
A total of 203 out of 208 local authorities accepted the invitation to showcase their
town or county in the Greenwich Millennium Dome for one day only. And Warwickshire will be
one of the first in the country to take up the challenge – their ‘Day in the
Dome’ will be on 17 January 2000.
The idea of the Day is to celebrate a town, city or county using the talents of its
young people, with a 20-minute presentation performed three times in the 500-seat theatre
in the Dome. There is also a bandstand and a display area for use during the whole day.
Free passes into the Dome will be available for 100 people.
Warwickshire’s day will include contributions from the county music service and
the choral initiative, media and film work by college students, drama, and dance and
visual art from outstanding school performers and from many school groups. It will also
involve the use of digital technology.
The event is to be co-ordinated by Rex Pogson, director of Warwickshire’s Arts
Zone, which was launched last month. He said he was determined that the event, which will
have the theme of "partnership in creativity", would not just be one-off treat
for 100 people. Instead it will involve thousands of young people in the preparation and
follow-up work, and will be tied into a series of exhibitions, performances and displays
held around Warwickshire both before and after the Day in the Dome.
He said:
"The day will be a showcase of opportunity for Warwickshire, celebrating its rich
heritage, the achievements of its young people, and the promise it offers to all its
residents in the future. This is a high-profile opportunity we cannot miss."
The event is being sponsored by McDonalds restaurants to the tune of £10,000 for each
local authority taking part. Now Warwickshire’s education chiefs are being asked to
match the McDonalds funding and find a further £10,000 to make sure Warwickshire is able
to make the most of its day. Additional funding will also be sought. Members of the county
council’s Education Committee are being asked to approve the extra funding at their
meeting next week.
