InterAct Youth Arts Festival launched in Derry

The free, youth-led festival will take place July 13 to July 21 and covers a range of different workshops from Mindfulness and Yoga to Music Theatre.

Mags Anderson is the Education and Schools Marketing Officer in the Millennium Forum. She said: This is our 14th year doing the InterAct Youth Arts Festival and this year we’re taking it out into the community. We’re going to three locations; Fountain Street Community Centre in Strabane, Tullyally Community Centre and St Mary’s Community Centre in Creggan. They’ll be doing a ‘Play in a Day’ in those centres so we’ll being an acting tutor, a costume and pop designer and a dancer facilitator. While we go out, we’ll do either Alice in Wonderland or Alan in Wonderland, whatever they would like to do and put their own twist on it. They’ll have the opportunity to come and perform on our stage as well.

“In-house, we’ll have nine workshops happening. We have musical theatre, special effects makeup, dance, singing , art, costume design, mediation and yoga, creative writing and DJ. All these things are happening in the Forum and it’s the young people in the Youth Forum who decide on the events. As soon as the festival from the year before is over, we have a meeting to discuss what worked and what didn’t and start working on next years’ festival.

“We have a have a big showcase at the end of the two weeks where the young people show what they have learned and created during the week.”

“We’re funded by the Arts Council and the Festival Fund in Derry City and Strabane District Council and this year, we’re going to link in to the Clipper Festival which is very exciting. It’s going to be a busy two weeks in July.”

Ronan Tester, a chair of the Millennium Forum Youth Forum, said: “We all have a passion for areas of the arts in the Forum so we sat and mind-mapped what areas we would like to see in the festival. We also discussed what other people would like to do but might not have the opportunity to do it, like the DJ workshop or the special effects workshop which isn’t too common.

“I’m so proud that I have been able to play a part in organising this festival which is open to everyone. The festival isn’t restricted to anyone because it’s free and we’re going out to different locations like Strabane. It’s great to know that you can make someone’s summer a lot better by giving them something fun to do.

“I feel so lucky that I’ve been able to take part in this. This is my fourth year now. Two or three weeks ago we did an InterAct Weekender, which was over two weekends and aimed at people who wouldn’t have the confidence to go to the bigger two week festival during the summer. Some of the people who were at it now feel comfortable to come to the big festival so it was a great success.

“I would love to pursue acting as a career and doing this festival and the Youth Forum has really helped me out, especially with confidence in the drama group. There’s new people and new teachers every year and that helps my confidence as I put myself out there to a wider group and also you make a name for yourself as a hard worker and people will ask you to do other things then.

“I would say for everyone to come along and give the InterAct Arts Festival a go, it’s a great two weeks and it’s so fun every year.”

Mayor of Derry City and Strabane Sandra Duffy said: “I’m delighted to be here today at the launch of this festival. I’ve heard so much about it and because it’s so youth-led, I think it’s fantastic for the young people of the city. The city excels in both aspects of this festival; youth centred events and the arts so it’s great to bring the two together. This displays the best of what we can do so I’m so excited to see what they have planned.”

Mags added: “Come along, it’s all free and all you have to do is sign up.”

The workshops are now open for booking. To book, telephone the Forum Box Office on 02871 264455 or visit www.millenniumfourm.co.uk. For further information, contact [email protected].