Middleton poster-stars hit the right note with 'Black Lace'
Middleton Popstars Academy had double cause for celebration this week when it unveiled its latest performance - on a city-centre billboard in Manchester and, they also recorded a new single with ‘80's party-music icons, Black Lace.
The poster - which measures 3m x 12m - celebrates the Academy's regional victory (North of England) in The Co-operative's ‘Join the Revolution' campaign - part of which gave community groups and volunteers a chance to share £25,000 by submitting details online of how they are doing something revolutionary to change things for the better in their communities.
In the same week, the youngsters also laid down vocals on a new Black Lace single which they hope will take the charts by storm this Christmas-time.
Working with the band - well known for its top-ten ‘party' hits ‘Agadoo' and ‘Do the Conga' - the Academy spent time in a Stockport recording studio, making the rock ‘n' roll party record which will be available from late November.
Ian Robinson of Black Lace, who now lives in Stockport, said: "The Academy's youngsters are excellent. We have worked with them before on a ‘Conga' video in Blackpool and I asked Anne (Marshall) if they would be involved in our latest recordings - it is just over 25 years since ‘Do the Conga' was in the top-ten and it is now popular all over again!"
Anne Marshall of Middleton Popstars Academy, added: "Winning £5,000 in The Co-operative's competition is amazing - It is also fantastic for the young people at Popstars to see themselves on the poster, it really has provided a buzz.
"And, for them to work with Black Lace and enjoy a recording studio experience is such a great opportunity.
"The Academy responds to the needs of young people, it is open to all regardless of ability or disability. We work as a team and we do what we do in order to give all young people opportunities to develop their skills and build self-belief and self-esteem."
The Co-operative's multi-media campaign called upon consumers to "join the revolution" to help to secure a more balanced and sustainable future for the UK. It showcased local people who, with a little help from The Co-operative, are instigating real change.
Helen Carroll, Senior Brand Manager at The Co-operative, said: "The Co-operative is very much a community business itself and is delighted to have been able to highlight and celebrate organisations such as Middleton Popstars Academy that are making a big difference in their communities."
The Co-operative's radical campaign celebrates the sheer breadth and impact of co-operative initiatives by featuring new revolutionaries that are having a positive impact on their community. It supports The Co-operative's recently launched Ethical Plan which set out a number of revolutionary goals that aims to cement its reputation as the most socially responsible business in the UK.
The Co-operative's TV commercial, which aired for the first time earlier this year, told how the Rochdale Pioneers, who established the first successful co-operative in1844, started a revolution which is still going strong.
Today, as well as The Co-operative Group with its six million members and 5,000 outlets in the UK, there are nearly a billion members of co-operatives worldwide who share the same values and principles established by those first co-operators more than 160 years ago.
For more information go to co-operative.coop/join-the-revolution
Further information about Middleton Popstars Academy is available at popstarsacademy.co.uk
