The National Programme
83. The National Programme, which is funded by NMEC
and Millennium Dome sponsors, has given communities throughout
the United Kingdom the opportunity to be involved with the Millennium
Experience and to benefit from projects based on the guiding principles
of the millennium celebrations. The National Programme began before
the year 2000, and was intended to be linked to zones and activities
in the Dome. The National Programme includes a broad range of
initiatives, such as Children's Promise, the National Skills Festival,
Reach for the Sky and the Millennium Youth Games. Both those schemes
and other parts of the Programme have been developed in partnership
with sponsors.[238]
A major element of the National Programme is the Learning Experience,
which includes Our Town Story, an opportunity for selected communities
to tell the story of their area on a special stage in the Dome.
The Learning Experience also includes the Learning Experience
Centre at the Dome and the Engineering Our Future project, which
provides a science and technology resource for schools and colleges.[239]
All the elements of the National Programme relate to activities
in the Dome and encourage children to visit the Dome. For example,
the 1 million free tickets to the Dome for schoolchildren form
part of the Learning Experience programme.[240]
84. We expressed reservations about the National
Programme in Not Only the Dome.[241]
In evidence for our inquiry Countdown
to the Millennium, Mr Ayling, Chairman of NMEC, told us that
the National Programme was going from "strength to strength".[242]
In Scotland, this Committee heard from young people involved in
two initiatives—Our Town Story and the Millennium Youth
Council. We were impressed by the enthusiasm, self-assurance and
dedication of the Millennium Youth Council members. This Committee
attended a performance of Paisley's Our Town Story, and met the
cast. We were impressed by that performance and the energy and
enthusiasm of the children, and their awareness of the Millennium
Experience. The Committee would like to thank everyone involved
in that production. We were impressed by that performance and
the energy and enthusiasm that the Our Town Story had fired in
all those involved. This Committee continues that support for
the Our Town Story initiative first stated in Not Only the
Dome and has been impressed by the number of children who
have had the opportunity to perform in the Dome.
238 Evidence, pp 10, 47-53. Back
239 Evidence,
pp 49-50. Back
240 Evidence,
p 49. Back
241 HC
(1997-98) 818-I, para 18. Back
242 HC
(1999-2000) 24-II, Q 83; HC (1999-2000) 24-I, para 26. Back
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