“2020 was quite a year for the charity Arts Taunton and their TYCA (Taunton Youth Culture & Arts) festival. Thanks to the pandemic the whole festival was switched online, and whilst record numbers attended, the buzz of that live performance is hard to emulate!” said Julie O’Donnell, Trustee of Arts Taunton.
This year the festival is dipping into the experience of last year and has announced 2021’s theme as EMPOWERMENT.
“As we emerge from the pandemic, we want to encourage young people to be bold, embrace life and share their stories through the arts,” said Festival Director, Deborah Baddoo.
The charity is not only asking the young performers to interpret this in their own way, but they have also fed the theme right through the festival organisation, bringing some incredible talent to the local theatre stages and venues. These talented performers include graduates who have left the area to train and returned to share their skills and experience; performers having made it nationally and internationally are now returning to mentor Taunton Deane’s young talent today.
The festival organisers will be offering a platform for a celebration of all things empowering and give our young people an important voice and avenue in which to perform.
Tickets for all performances are now on sale, and all under 18’s can attend free.
Performances encompass spoken word cabarets, a music festival, film festival, dance festival, drama festival and a fashion and art exhibition. A special family show of the Musicians of Bremen will also be performed by the Bluebird Theatre Company in their Popera House. Workshops are also available to attend on stop-frame animation and making music.
All details of how to book are available on the festival website : https://tycafestival.co.uk
