EAST Lancashire teens have taken part in a project, financed by the Heritage Lottery Fund, exploring the county’s myths and legends.

Youngsters from Blackburn and Rossendale have been learning the skills behind creating video footage and recording sounds as they starred and directed film Telling Tales.

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The film was produced by award-winning media company REELmcr. The teens uncovered the myths behind Saxon warriors, boggarts and banshees at the Horse & Bamboo Theatre in Waterfoot.

Jacqui Carroll, creative director of REELmcr, said: “Everyone worked hard.

"We worked with people across Lancashire and this allowed the younger and older people involved to bring legendary tales back to life in the present day. It was a year-long project and we can finally see it all come together. We worked with some of the most genuine people and it has been a great project.”

The Saxon warriors story dates back to the legend of Tockholes during the Anglo-Saxon period when the tribe were brought to the area.

The boggarts and banshees story is based on the tale of an evil fairy in the Rossendale Valley who enchanted children and snatched them in the night.

The project included trips to Turton Tower, Clitheroe Castle, Tockholes, the Whitaker Art Gallery and the site of Grane village, and featured a ghost walk with Simon Entwistlein, in order to unearth local myths and legends. This inspired the scenario where two sisters from Bacup battle boggarts and two friends from Blackburn relive the tale.

St Vincent’s Housing Association was awarded the Heritage Lottery Fund Young Roots grant to work with young people.

The association worked with people from their local housing tenancies and from the wider community, including youngsters from Blackburn Foyer — a supported-housing scheme.

Anita Gibson, Foyer manager, said: “Each individual enjoyed the opportunity to work in front of and behind the scenes exploring their local history and making a film to share with others.”

The film’s free premiere will screen on January 23 at the Boo Theatre, on Bacup Road in Waterfoot.

The first of two short films is The Keeper Of Tales, covering the Blackburn and Darwen area. The second short movie, Trick Or Treacle, features the Rossendale Valley.

There is also a documentary called The Story Of Telling Tales, showing the making of the films.

A GROUP of East Lancashire teens have have taken part in a project funded by the Heritage Lottery fund exploring the county’s myths and legends.

Youngsters from Blackburn and Rossendale have been learning the skills behind creating video footage and recording sounds as they both starred and directed film ‘Telling Tales’.

Produced by award-winning media company, REELmcr, the teens uncovered the myths behind the Saxon warriors, Boggarts and Banshees at the Horse and Bamboo Theatre in Waterfoot.

Jacqui Carroll, creative director of REELmcr, said: “We couldn’t have picked a more magical venue to screen these films.

“Everyone worked really hard and we worked with people across the Lancashire area and this allowed the younger and older people involved to bring legendary tales back to life in the present day.

“It was a year long project and we can finally see it all come together.

“I would like to say that we worked with some of the most genuine people and it has been a great project.”

The Saxon warriors dates back to the legend of Tockholes during the Anglo-Saxon period when the tribe were brought to the area.

The boggarts and banshees story is based on an evil fairy in the Rossendale Valley who enchants children and snatches them in the night.

The banshee character is the good fairy in the story who tries to help the two sisters from Bacup to set the children free.

The project included trips to Turton Tower, Clitheroe Castle, Tockholes, the Whitaker Art Gallery, a ghost walk with Simon Entwistle and the site of Grane village in order to unearth local myths and legends.

This inspired the scenario where two sisters from Bacup battle boggarts and two friends from Blackburn re-live the tale.

St Vincent’s Housing Association was awarded the Young Roots Heritage Lottery funding to work with young people.

They worked with people from their local housing tenancies and from the wider community, including young people from the Blackburn Foyer, a supported housing scheme.

Anita Gibson, foyer manager, said: “Each individual enjoyed the opportunity to work in front of and behind the scenes exploring their local history and making a film to share with others.”

The film’s free premiere will screen on Saturday, January 23 at the Boo Theatre, on Bacup Road in Waterfoot.

The first short film, The Keeper of Tales, covers the Blackburn and Darwen area lasting 22 minutes and the second movie, Trick or Treacle, features the Rossendale Valley which is 18 minutes long.

There is also a 15 minute documentary Called the Story of Telling Tales, showing the making of the films.

The premiere will be hosted by guest speaker, award winning poet and Glastonbury poet in residence, Tony Walsh, and will be rounded off with an Oscar style award ceremony to celebrate all of the participants’ hard work.