Youth Takes Centre Stage

This week some of Perthshire’s most talented young performers will be showcasing their talent, as part of the 2018 Horsecross Youth Arts Festival.

There will be 200 young people aged between five and twenty-years-old taking to the stage at both Perth Theatre and Perth Concert Hall in twelve dance, theatre and music performances starting this Thursday through until Sunday 17^th June.

Senior members of Perth Youth Theatre are just some of the youngsters involved, and they’ve been working with professional theatre-maker, Lou Brodie, to create ‘A Space to…’ – a performance which will headline this week’s Youth Arts Festival on Saturday 16^th June at Perth Theatre in the main auditorium.

Other young artists around Perthshire have been working with the Horsecross Arts Creative Learning team to write, devise, choreograph and compose original material as well as reworking some of their old favourites to create a dynamic and fast-paced Festival.

Following last year’s hugely successful combined performance, Horsecross Glee and Perth Youth Dance Company will again join forces to deliver an exciting evening of dance and song, featuring contemporary and street dance, alongside pop and rock classics.

The Festival weekend will culminate with the Gordon Duncan Experience – Horsecross’ Youth Celtic Big Band – who will be collaborating with professional musicians Eabhal to perform traditional Scottish music served with a twist of rock, pop and jazz.

Isobel Drury, one of the Perth Youth Theatre Seniors who will be headlining at Perth Theatre in ‘A Space to…’ said of the Festival: “It’s a great opportunity for young people to showcase their work, especially as it is the Year of the Young People. It’s a great opportunity for young people to showcase their work, especially as it is the Year of the Young People.

“I’m very excited to be taking part in the Festival and especially to be getting the chance to perform on the Perth Theatre main stage for the first time.”

There will be further opportunities for young people to try out Horsecross’ Youth Arts programme when Perth Theatre throws open its doors to anyone aged eight to twenty-five-years-old for the Youth Takeover event, part of the city’s DiverseCitay Festival.

The Perth Theatre Youth Takeover will be taking place in the newly restored and redeveloped venue and has been organised by young people, for young people, as part of Scotland’s ‘Year of the Young People’ in 2018.

The event takes place on Saturday 23^rd June and will include a range of workshops and performances throughout the day. The Youth Takeover is a free event.

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For more information about the 2018 Horsecross Youth Arts Festival and the Perth Theatre Youth Takeover, visit the Horsecross website.