Wellingborough arts and culture festival's free classes for young want-to-be producers

Young people in Wellingborough are being urged to sign up to free classes to learn the skills needed to be a producer and put on an arts festival.

The Young Producers programme has been asked to create community cultural Young Artists Festival 2021 to celebrate dance, drama, and music - responding to what the residents would like.

In conjuction with Made With Many and Warts and All Theatre, the young people aged between 12 and 25 years will consult the community, plan the programme and make it happen.

Joe Kerry, creative producer for Warts and All Theatre, said: "We will create a festival of art and culture next year that is driven by the need of the community.

"The young people will make all the decisions with me to guide them.

"They can learn new skills as creatives - stage management, marketing and budgeting but they do not have to perform if they don't want to."

Mr Kerry, 23, will mentor the The Young Producers guiding them in everything from community-driven decision-making to programming professional artists for the festival.

The Young Producers also get free food and refreshments at all of the practical sessions and a Young Producers T-shirt to wear on the day.

Postponed from Covid-hit 2020, the Young Artists Festival is due to take place in mid-July next year in and around town centre locations

Mr Kerry added: "It involves high concepts but also having to stick to a budget.

"It's really reactive and purely based on the needs of the community. It will be a great opportunity to learn new skills."

Fortnightly Wednesday sessions start on October 7 from 4.45pm to 6.15pm at Wellingborough African Caribbean Centre.

The group also holds a Young Actors group for ages nine to 21 on a 'pay-on-your-terms' model, which allows participants to pay either £10, £20 or £30 a month to access weekly sessions.

Contact Warts and All Theatre by clicking here or by emailing [email protected]

Warts and All Theatre are working in partnership with Made With Many, as part of their Creative People and Places expansion into Wellingborough to deliver this project.

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