The Development Unit at Gibraltar Cultural Services (GCS) has hosted just under a thousand students in the past few weeks through various educational events and initiatives.

Students from nine different schools and organisations have taken part in tours of the City Hall, the National Art Gallery and the John Mackintosh Hall Library as well as discovering Gibraltar’s Street Art. Each tour is tailored to the offering and age group and, where possible, streamlined further in line with the group’s interests and what is being studied at school.

In addition to the tours, International Author Miles Slater also hosted virtual workshops for year 9 students from Westside School, with a focus on journalism. The session really got students thinking about the world around them and making news more tangible. Yoto Carnegie 2023 Prize winning Welsh author, Manon Steffan Ros, also visited Westside and Bayside students to talk about her writing inspirations, her bilingualism and what the prize had meant to her. The author was in Gibraltar as part of the Rock Retreat / Octopus House residency which is supported by Cultural Services.

GCS also celebrated World Book Day at the John Mackintosh Hall, focusing on the author David Walliams. The day saw over 300 students from four different schools visiting to participate in art and drama workshops as well as storytelling. The workshops were carried out by young professionals, creating another avenue for developing skills within culture and the arts. The afternoon saw the Hall open to the public for a sold-out interactive story session with GAMPA.

The interest and enthusiasm from the schools when promoting books, literature and Gibraltar’s art and heritage is infectious and the team continuously aims to stimulate young minds and support the work being done in educational establishments. GCS look forward to hosting more events in the early summer.