Hollywood director Danny Boyle comes Beckton talent spotting

Trainspotting film director Danny Boyle came to a Beckton school on a London 2012 talent-spotting mission.

The celebrated Hollywood film-maker, whose works also include Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire, visited Gallions Primary School in Warwall, East Beckton, to look at how pupils involved in the Every Child a Musician (ECaM) scheme can be included in the opening and closing ceremonies of the London 2012 Games.

‘Opportunity’

Newham Mayor Sir Robin Wales, who launched EcAM, said: “It was a privilege to have Danny Boyle as a visitor to Gallions School and the musical performance by the pupils demonstrated the wealth of talented young people we have living in the borough.

“It is important that Newham schoolchildren are made to feel they are part of the Olympics and I want to ensure they have the opportunity to showcase their talents to the rest of the world.”

Pupils who have been learning to play instruments for the past year, treated Mr Boyle, who is the creative head of the London Games ceremonies, to a performance that demonstrated the musical skills they have gained so far.

ECaM works by offering Newham children, who are in Year five, the opportunity to learn how to play an instrument at no cost to parents.

Children receive weekly tuition for two years and have their own instrument that they are able to keep as a gift if they complete the full two years of the scheme, which runs in 62 Newham schools.