Tag: Generation Z

Top UK Road Trips: Generation Z Vote for the Lake District

The Lake District has once again been voted the UK’s top road trip location in a new piece of research conducted by leading fuel brand – JET.

1250 UK drivers were asked to rank their favourite UK road trips with just over one-fifth (22%) voting for the Cumbrian national park as their favourite destination with 56% voting it into their top three.

Described by Wordsworth as ‘the loveliest spot that man hath found’ – more than 200 years on, the lakes and breath-taking roads that often hug the water’s edge continue to beguile today’s UK drivers. And while we could be forgiven for thinking that the romantic lure of the Lakes is lost on the young – think again! Gen Z drivers (18-24) were the most enthusiastic about the Lake District road trip with one-quarter voting it into the top spot and an unequivocal 59% voting it into their top three.

The stunning drive from Devon to Cornwall, ranked in second place this year with The Peak District taking third place. Other popular road trip destinations include: the North Coast 500, North Yorkshire Moors/Road to Whitby and The Cotswolds.

And while all drivers, across all age groups were unanimous in their top choice of the Lake District, there was less agreement when it came to other favoured UK road trips. 18–24-year-olds selected Devon to Cornwall as their second choice with The Peak District, Stone Henge/Cotswolds and North Coast 500, as their next most popular locations.

In contrast, the over 65s voted for an arguably more adventurous mix with the North Coast 500 as their second pick, the North Yorkshire Moors in third, Devon to Cornwall fourth and Snowdonia to Anglesey in fifth place.

The UK’s Top Ten Road Trips

  1. The Lake District
  2. Devon to Cornwall
  3. Peak District
  4. North Coast 500
  5. North Yorkshire Moors/Road to Whitby
  6. Cotswolds Roads
  7. Stone Henge/Cotswolds
  8. Snowdonia to Anglesey
  9. Scottish Borders between Northumberland and Edinburgh
  10. Norfolk Coast

Gen Z’s Top Ten Road Trips:

  1. The Lake District
  2. Devon to Cornwall
  3. Peak District
  4. Stone Henge/Cotswolds
  5. North Coast 500
  6. North Yorkshire Moors
  7. The Causeway
  8. A303 down to the West Country
  9. Norfolk Coast
  10. Snowdonia to Anglesey

Top Ten Road Trips 65+:

  1. The Lake District
  2. North Coast 500
  3. North Yorkshire Moors
  4. Devon to Cornwall
  5. Snowdonia to Anglesey
  6. Scottish Borders between Northumberland and Edinburgh
  7. Peak District
  8. The Cotswolds roads
  9. Stone Henge/Cotswolds
  10. The Causeway

JET’s inaugural road trip study was conducted in September 2020.

Strange Town presents Generation Z: The Future is Unwritten

120 young people from Edinburgh create multi-artform production

Strange Town, one of Scotland’s leading theatre companies for young people, is delighted to announce that their large scale multi-artform project – theatre, movement, spoken word, film, sound – ‘Generation Z: The Future is Unwritten’, will culminate in a live promenade performance and video installation event at Out of the Blue Drill Hall, Dalmeny Street on Friday 18 and Saturday 19 June.

Despite the challenges of Covid-19 restrictions throughout the five-month project, Strange Town’s most ambitious production to date has involved more than 120 of Edinburgh’s young people (aged 8 -18), with support from the company’s emerging playwrights (aged 18-25) and directors; and guided and mentored by industry professionals.

Using the stimulus, ‘Can Young People Change the World?’, ‘Generation Z: The Future is Unwritten’ has been created by, and will be performed by, members of the eight Strange Town Youth Theatre Groups from across the city.  

The members of Strange Town Youth Theatre responded to the stimulus with work addressing a range of topics including isolation, technology, identity, generational division, Black Lives Matter, climate change, ideal society/world, protest, kindness, having your voice heard and Covid-19.

In order to maximise the opportunities audiences will have to experience the live performance and video installation, the 60-minute promenade event will be presented to 20 socially distanced audience members three times a night in three separate spaces. 

The whole audience will come together to experience a live performance from just six actors before being split into two separate groups to watch film and listen to audio material. 

Additionally, a site specific eight-minute video will be projected on a wall next to the St. Andrew, Ukrainian Catholic Church of Our Lady of Pochaev, on Dalmeny Street, which will include a specially choreographed movement piece.  This will also be be a ticketed event for socially distanced audiences. 

On 26 and 27 June there will be an opportunity to pay to view a film of the live event together with a variety of additional video, audio and written material developed by the groups.

Funded by Creative Scotland’s Open Fund: Sustaining Creative Development Programme, through the National Lottery, ‘Generation Z: The Future is Unwritten’ has been developed flexibly in response to the ever-changing situation caused by the pandemic.  

The eight groups have met for weekly online digital drama workshops and face-to-face creative sessions, where possible, to explore the question and to create, write, film and record material.  The groups have also worked together with members of the new Strange Town Young Writers Group who have both developed the work the groups have devised and written their own additional scenes.

As well as theatre, choreography and movement has played a big part in the project.  70 young people from the company got involved in a professionally choreographed movement piece, reflecting on the stimulus.  This involved Zoom rehearsals and everybody recording their final performance on their mobile phones.

Rehearsals for the live performance are now underway with a drastically reduced number of actors working to strict guidelines, while video and sound design and editing is nearing completion

The Creative Scotland funding has also enabled Strange Town to employ a full technical team and additional production staff that include film editors, projection mappers, sound designers, a choreographer and production designer.

Steve Small, co-creative director of Strange Town and producer of ‘Generation Z: The Future is Unwritten’, said: “The Gen Z project is a testament to the hard work put in by everybody involved in the company.

“Despite the challenges and difficulties of the pandemic, watching the enthusiasm, skill and pride with which the production team has undertaken this task and having seen how the young people have adapted and risen to the challenge, as well as the range and quality of the work they’ve produced, it’s impossible not to feel massively encouraged. Despite the dark days of the lockdown restrictions, we hope better days are coming. People will always find a way to be creative.  

“Thanks to the funding from Creative Scotland, Generation Z: The Future is Unwritten’s mix of indoor and outdoor and digital work means that everyone will be able to enjoy it wherever they are. We hope it will create some much-needed hope and enjoyment for 2021.”