Council gets behind youth festival showcasing Swindon’s creative talent
People are being encouraged to support a two-week Swindon-wide cultural extravaganza, which has been organised by six young local artists for other young people aged between 11 and 25
Published: Thursday, 18th July 2024
Signal Festival aims to cultivate art, support artists and enrich audiences across the Borough with all events being either free or £2.
Supported by Swindon Borough Council and a range of local and national partners, the festival is taking place between Monday, 22 July and Saturday, 3 August and will bring a dynamic mix of performances, participation, professional development and pop-up surprises all around the town.
Last week, four of the organisers, Arlo Carter, Erin Fletcher, Clarissa Boyce-Johnson and George Sargent visited the Council Chamber to launch the festival with Council Leader, Councillor Jim Robbins, Cabinet Member for Planning and Placemaking, Councillor Marina Strinkovsky, and Swindon Mayor, Councillor Imtiyaz Shaikh.
There are more than 70 events taking place over the two weeks at a variety of locations in Swindon. These include exhibitions at the new Museum & Art facility at the Civic Offices and a special workshop where you can explore backstage of the Wyvern Theatre to front of house to see how a professional theatre operates.
Neon Dance’s Artistic Director, Adrienne Hart, will be running a dance workshop at Swindon Dance, BBC screenwriter Natalie Mitchell will provide a masterclass in screenwriting at Create Studios with participants ultimately writing their own scenes, while a poetry open mic session will be held at Darkroom Espresso.
Councillor Marina Strinkovsky, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Planning and Placemaking said: “I have been bowled over by the passion and creativity shown by our six young producers who have delivered a truly amazing festival for local people to enjoy.
“We have so much going on within arts and culture in Swindon and this programme shines a spotlight on some fabulous talent and opportunities.
“I would really encourage local residents to visit the Signal Festival website and browse through all the amazing events to find a workshop, performance or exhibition they can visit over the next two weeks so they see for themselves exactly what Swindon has to offer.”
Arlo Carter, Young Producer, said, “This is a chance for every young person in Swindon to try a wide range of art forms across dance, theatre, words, music, visual and digital arts.
“We’ve been working with Prime Theatre for over a year to create this amazing opportunity. It’s a huge Swindon partnership and a chance for us all to build creativity, confidence and pride in our town. Please help us to get Swindon buzzing!”
Further details about the packed programme of events can be found on the festival website: www.signalfestival.co.uk