The charity behind Colchester’s famous water tower is offering 10 young people a place on a creative research programme.
The nine-month Water Stories under the Jumbo Project programme will train 12 to 18-year-olds to become heritage researchers, filmmakers, interpreters and creative ambassadors.
Balkerne Water Tower, known as Jumbo, is Britain’s largest surviving Victorian municipal water tower and now sits empty as a tourist attraction.
The Jumbo Project programme manager Joseph Rawlings said: “We are overjoyed to have the support of the Essex County Council Arts and Cultural Fund for the Water Stories project.
“Jumbo has been a key part of Colchester’s water story since 1883, and we look forward to working with young people to creatively explore the importance of water on a local, national and international level.
“Thanks to National Lottery players, in the coming weeks The Jumbo Project will be looking for a group of young people to join the Water Stories programme.”
Working with international charity WaterAid, the young people will make videos and other content about Jumbo’s heritage and today’s global issues.
The themes include access to clean water, environmental sustainability and climate change.
They will take part in 16 sessions mixing research, technical skills, creative experimentation and group production.
It will start with team-building, a primer on Jumbo’s history and practical workshops in research and interviewing.
Participants will dig into Jumbo’s heritage and Colchester’s water network through site visits, archive work and guided discussions.
The final film will reflect Colchester young people’s heritage, questions, concerns and creative voice.
It will premiere at Jumbo’s reopening event, projected inside the historic water tank.
The Essex County Council Arts and Cultural Fund is helping fund Water Stories.
It forms part of The National Lottery Heritage Fund’s activities programme for The Jumbo Project.
North Essex Heritage plans to set up a commercially viable operation to pay for the building’s upkeep once it has been restored.
The restored building will be run as a venue, with visitor experience and history displays.
Jumbo will be fully accessible, so everyone can visit, admire the building and join community activities.
An £8m delivery grant has been secured from The National Lottery Heritage Fund following £250,000 of development funding and has received UK Government Funding.
To take part in this or other Jumbo activities, visit the Jumbo website.
