YOUNGSTERS from Newham travelled to the West End to perform at the Victoria & Albert Museum in South Kensington.

More than 200 people turned up to watch Blue Train, a youth-led arts project made up of 14 to 24-year-olds. They performed a contemporary dance piece about the evolution of civilisation.

Developed over six months, about 100 project members designed everything from costumes and choreography to the music and art.

Participants included pupils from Rokeby School in Stratford and Newham’s Focus E15 Foyer, a housing association in Stratford.

‘Proud’

Rasheed Bushura, from Focus E15, described the project as “an artistic revolution” created to “blow away not only the V&A but our own perceptions of ourselves”.

Funded by regeneration charity East Potential, the Heritage Lottery Fund and Arts Council England, the youngsters were trained by professionals in street dance and contemporary African dance.

Blue Train creative director Alexis Johnson said: “I’m proud of the young people’s final product, the result of contributions from some of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged young people.”