Wigan primary school embraces failure in national workshops

Musician and performer Kid Carpet was joining year five pupils of Millbrook Primary in Shevington to create a show as part of his project Epic Fail in the first week of May in an event supported by The Old Courts.

There will be lots of activities and opportunities for photography, videography and interviews, and the scheme has already taken place at three other primary schools across the country which are aimed at showing youngsters that you can’t always succeed at everything and how to cope when you don’t.

Kid Carpet, whose real name is Ed Patrick, said: “Epic Fail is a project made with, by and for young people and their families about failure and well-being.

“Our primary school residences explore failure as a virtue with young people using fun, engaging and interactive methods.”

Being an Arts Mark school, Millbrook bosses said they were excited to see how this project can improve the overall well-being on their young people.

Assistant headteacher Karen Sanderson said: “Supporting our young people to understand and reflect upon the world around them, with a view to helping them manage the many stresses modern life can present, is important to us here at Millbrook.

“One of the many effects of lockdown and Covid is perhaps the feeling of uncertainty some of our young people now describe.

“I have no doubt this exciting project will enable them to become even more confident as individuals and will provide a real opportunity for the children to explore the fear of failure.”

The Old Courts has brought this project to Wigan as they believe that this is crucial to the artistic development of local young people.

Artistic director Jonathon Davenport said: “Moving Roots provides a fantastic opportunity for our community to co-create with incredible artists and our experienced producers.

“This project will address wellbeing and confidence in new and imaginative ways which we hope will further embed creativity in some amazing young people.”

Across April through to July, The Old Courts will be documenting the project on it social media pages @theoldcourts, and sharing ways that children across the Wigan borough can get involved.

Epic Fail is part of the Moving Roots Network, a national project that is funded by the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation and Garfield Weston Foundation