As the Olympic Torch Relay passed through Reading on Tuesday 10th July, a group of young people have a lasting legacy of this historic event and celebrated by exhibiting their artwork.

The ‘Collaborations! Reading Torch Relay’ project, funded by Reading Cultural Partnership, has engaged young people through creative arts and sports. The young people have created new work that was exhibited in Queensland College Reading, including a “butterfly tattoo” designed by one of the young people that will be worn by Paralympian basketball athlete Louise Sugden and the rest of the Great Britain team as they compete.

An inspired resident, John Hendy was extremely impressed. “Well done for all the hard work, great to see the creativity”.

The exhibition also featured a basketball hoop where young people, passersby and Louise Sugden scored a few hoops and the chance to play Wheels of Glory an app game designed by young people to celebrate wheelchair basket ball and the Paralympics.

The project also linked young people from Reading with a group of young people in the island of Reunion in sharing their experiences, ideas and inspiration through the e-community, a free on-line resource created by Creative Junction.

The ‘Collaborations! Reading Torch Relay’ project funded by the Reading Cultural Partnership has involved Creative Junction, Reading Borough Council Youth Team, Cranbury College, freelance artists Emma Ghafur, Kenny Baraka and inspirational Paralympian athlete Louise Sugden.

An inspired resident, John Hendy was extremely impressed after visiting the exhibition and congratulated the young people, “Well done for all the hard work, great to see the creativity”. He also hoped the project would continue and added “Keep at it even after the project has finished.”

Another observer, Emilio Ronero illustrated the importance of engaging young people: “Great idea! Opening people’s minds, especially young people… Remember they are OUR future, great stuff.”