Tonight is the last chance to see a new production at Dalbeattie High in Dumfries and Galloway, of George Orwell’s Animal Farm. Pupils at the school are putting on the play with the help not only of their local amateur dramatics group, but TAG theatre company, the children’s and young people’s “arm” of Glasgow’s Citizens Theatre.

Pupils and staff have been working with six professionals from TAG on every aspect of theatre production, including costume and set design, music, sound and lights and marketing, as well as acting.

Animal Farm is the first production in a three-year programme of drama activity to be planned and delivered by Dalbeattie High, Dumfries and Galloway’s Creative Education Arts Team (CREATE) and TAG, with support from the Big Lottery Fund.

www.tag-theatre.co.uk

Basketball

Basketball Scotland has launched a new talent development programme, targeting schoolchildren who have the potential to make it big in the sport. A series of training camps will take place in February and March for boys and girls at Under-14 and Under-15 levels.

Selection takes place this month and the governing body sees the move as crucially important if Scotland is to unearth players who have the potential to go on to international level. The game has re-focused with London being awarded the Olympics in 2012, which has opened new horizons.

Ollie Dudfield, coach and player development officer for Basketball New Zealand, hosted a clinic at St Maurice’s High in Cumbernauld, looking at maximising the development of young players. Sixty teachers and coaches attended, and UK strength coach Ian Durrant gave a presentation on developing players’ strength and conditioning.

This area has been overlooked in the past but the level of athletic ability required in top-level basketball means it is something that has to be worked on at schools’ level.