The National Theatre of Scotland (NTS) is marking Scotland’s Year of Young People in 2018 by staging a major radical new festival of international performing arts, Futureproof, created by young people working alongside renowned Scottish, British and international theatre practitioners.
Scottish dance collective Project X, that celebrates and champions dance within the African Diaspora in Scotland, and Thulani Rachia will be coming to Edinburgh in June and then in August to work with an ensemble of young people to create a new piece of performance, Chronicles, which will be presented as part of the Futureproof festival later in the year. Artists from these companies will be exploring visibility and invisibility, uncovering histories untold, imagining alternative pasts, presents and futures through working with artefacts, artworks, photography, masks, storytelling, music and movement.
Young people aged 14-26 who are performers, dancers, musicians or enthusiasts are invited to take part in the project and will be given the opportunity to develop a new piece of dance theatre performance. Using different dance styles to explore themes of ancestral journeys and shared histories by communicating stories through movement, the performance will create an alternative, interactive audio guide through the National Museum of Scotland as never seen before.
Ten leading UK and international companies and artists, specialising in daring new work targeted at young people, will embed themselves in ten communities around the country, working with local young groups to co-create, design, develop and stage a piece of performance. Ten productions will then take place in cities and locations across Scotland as part of the Futureproof festival from 28 September to 28 October 2018.
The project, which is supported by EventScotland, part of VisitScotland’s Events Directorate in celebration of Scotland’s forthcoming themed year, is co-curated and creatively led by Lucy Gaizely of multi-disciplinary performance company 21Common.
How young people can get involved in Chronicles:
A taster workshop for curious Young Experts, led by Claricia Kruithof from Project X and Thulani Rachia, will be held on Saturday 16 June, 12:30-2pm at Leith Dockers Club, 17-17a Academy St, Edinburgh EH6 7EE.
No previous performance experience necessary.
Young people living in Edinburgh from all abilities, backgrounds and identities are welcome, with encouragement for those who identify as being Black, Minority Ethnic (BME) and/+ People of Colour (POC).
To participate young people will need to:
- Be available to come to the taster workshop on 16 June at Leith Dockers Club
- Be available for weekly rehearsals from 18 August - 29 September
- Be between the ages of 14-26
- Be available to perform on 6 & 7 October
Further taster workshops will run during the summer for those unable to make 16 June. Email [email protected] for more information.
Following the taster workshop, there will be weekly rehearsals from 18 August - 29 September where participants will work together with our artists to co-create the piece.
The final performances will be part of NTS’ Futureproof festival and will take place on 6 & 7 October 2018.
For more information and to sign up please visit nationaltheatrescotland.com/futureproof or email [email protected] for more info.
Join the conversation: #NTSFutureproof
Further information on what’s happening and how people can get involved can be found on the new website www.yoyp2018.scot or @YOYP2018 on Twitter.