Pupils re-enact life in Ulster's linen mills

Following on from the huge success of The Boat Factory in six Primary Schools in Belfast and surrounding areas during 2009, two new plays from the Pat and Plain series by Dan Gordon are being presented during March and April 2010 by twelve Primary Schools across Ulster including Fountain PS.

The Pat & Plain project, commissioned by the Ulster-Scots Agency and co-funded by the Agency, the Lyric Theatre and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland will involve workshops over 10 weeks in the chosen primary schools leading up to the production of a series of twelve plays.

This year the primary schools will be focusing on one of two themes - the Blitz and the Linen industry.

On Key Stage 2 pupils of Fountain Primary School launched Kissing the Shuttle.

The play is being performed by children as part of an innovative, joint project between the Lyric Theatre and schools.

The project supports teachers in encouraging children to plan and produce a play following a professional theatre company model. It is structured either as an after-school activity or a stimulating framework through which to deliver the curriculum.

Participating schools are given fifteen sessions with a theatre practitioner mentor and opportunities to consult with costume, set and lighting designers.

Together these various elements of theatre production harness the talent and imagination of the children, not only in acting and technical work, but in marketing, design, research and managing a budget.

Other Primary Schools presenting Kissing the Shuttle include: Culcrow Primary School, Aghadowey, Ballymoney; Derryboy Primary School, Killyleagh; Edenbrooke Primary School, Belfast; Markethill Primary School, Markethill; and Millisle Primary School, Millisle, Co Down

Kissing the Shuttle tells the tale of 13 year olds Katy, Marie, Sadie and Hetty on their first day as full-timers in the mill. Woken at half past five by the Rapper-up, they make it past the Timekeeper and the new Foreman before meeting their Doffing Mistress, Lizzie Longley.

As they take new doffer, Agnes Roberts, under their wing we get a fascinating insight into the lives of the 90,000 men and women who worked in the Mills of Ulster.

Philip Crawford, Project Director, said: "We want to promote the idea that acting is a craft, involving skills that need to be practised and honed.

"The children are encouraged to follow the model of a theatre company, exploring all aspects of production from performance and design to marketing issues and the management of a budget."