AFTER the success of their recent back to work programme Dales Resilience, Settle Stories are running a new course, Community Voices, in Settle and Skipton this October.

During Community Voices people will follow a creative learning programme using animation to make a short autobiographical film.

The course is designed to give people a voice to tell their story and learn new skills at the same time.

Participants will take an aspect of their life to create a tale to animate and make into a film.

Professional animator Virpi Kettu, who worked on Wallace and Gromit and Radiohead’s latest music video, will be working with course participants.

Funded through the European Social Fund and the Education and Skills Funding Agency, this programme is designed to support unemployed North Yorkshire women (18 and older) and men (50 and older) gain skills and get back into work.

The programme includes learning digital, IT and presentation skills and working in a small groups of people to develop creativity and confidence.

Charles Tyrer, Settle Stories communications and events manager, said: “Many different groups have worked with Virpi before and have produced a variety of wonderful short films. Some were shown at our Festival of Happiness in 2017 and at a film gala night.

“This is the first time we are mixing animation with mentoring to support people who are out of work and who are finding it difficult to get back into the swing of life.”

Settle Stories is now recruiting participants to take part in this exciting programme in Settle and Skipton.

For more information visit Settle Stories website

settlestories.org.uk/community-voices or call Settle Stories on 01729 822292.

The culmination of the project will be a film gala night taking place at The Joinery in Settle.