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ONE WEEK TO GO

June 29th, 2012|0 Comments

Excitement is building at Creative Youth headquarters as there is just one week to go until Raise the Roof! kicks off two weeks of theatre shows, live music, visual arts, dance performances, comedy, poetry, and much more.

But don’t forget that in the mean time we still have a week of exciting workshops in which you can learn some valuable artistic skills and even apply them to a show at the festival. Workshops include an Introduction to Theatre, Create an Album in a Week, Acting Masterclass, Carnival Camp, Yoga and Singing Workshops, Graffiti Workshops, Puppeteering and much more! Many workshops are free with no booking required, while others require a fee –for more information, please visit http://www.iyafestival.org.uk/workshops/

 

Then the real fun begins! On Friday 6 July, Raise the Roof! will see a wide variety of performances in the Rose Main House, featuring some of the many highlights the festival has to offer. From the vocal harmonies of the local Tiffinians boys choir, to a taster of the National Youth Music Theatre’s musical take on Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Dreaming, theatrical puppeteers Little Cauliflower to the unpredictably upbeat and unique sounds of Tankus the Henge singer Jaz Delorean, this show has it all. The evening will close with a very special collaboration between StemKu Dance Company, puppeteers Smoking Apples and an aerial hoop artist! This is not to be missed.

Amazingly, that’s just the start. The highlights are too numerous to name in their entirety, but you can start with the IYAF Carnival, set to enliven streets of the town centre with colour, creativity and plenty of surprises at 3pm on Sunday 8 July. Giant puppets, energy fuelled musicians and contemporary carnival performers will keep you entertained, while the Market Place music stage will keep the party going all day.

 

If cinema is more your thing, than The Birdies Short Film Festival may be the perfect occasion for you, showcasing some of our favourite entries from young aspiring filmmakers from around the world. Taking place on Thursday 12 July at the Odeon Cinema, these films are sure to amuse, move, excite or provoke, in the presence of our special guest, Hollywood producer Kevin Loader.

The Rose Theatre will become Africanised a day later on Friday 13 July as African Roots brings out a night of dance, drama and music from the great continent. With performances from the Agbenorhevi Youth Orchestra, the Peekok YouthARTS Initiative and Ziyawa CR.I.  providing a combination of energetic dance, live music and theatre, this will be a varied and culturally engaging evening for all who attend.

Meanwhile, Kinetic Visions: An Evening of Dance on Saturday 14 July will see some of the country’s most talented dance groups bring the Rose Theatre to life through their movement and energy. Programmed by Creative Youth intern Lauren Elliot, performances depict cultural and artistic variety, from the intense to the beautiful, that can be enjoyed by all.

For the truly spectacular however, one should head to Eagle Brewery Wharf on the riverside for the weekends of 14-15 and 21-22 July. Here, for the first time ever, we are dedicating an entire stage to dance and circus – our dance stage and aerial rig will be set up to bring you a remarkable combination of both disciplines, with workshops running through the day for those who wish to participate. Co-programmed by three beneficiaries of our Creative Talent programme, Selina Welter of StemKU, Katie Hardwick of Circus Suburbia, and a collective of young, energetic circus performers and teachers; Redefining Space. These shows will highlight some of the incredible talent we have here inKingston, as well as wow all those fortunate enough to witness it.

 

Of course, this is but the merest of selections. With hundreds of different performances taking place in 15 different venues across the disciplines of theatre, dance, music, visual art, film, comedy, fashion and crafts, poetry and combined arts, should the above not tickle your fancy there is bound to be something that does! You can view the full programme here or download it as a PDF here. Tickets can be bought for individual shows, or you can purchase a Festival Pass for all shows for £80 – details of how can be found here: http://www.iyafestival.org.uk/iyaf2012/.

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