Page 22 - City Life Magazine - Spring 2021

22 Issue 54 • March 2021

ARTS AND CULTURE

Festivals bring

opportunities for

young people to

work in the arts

Creating opportunities for young

people and individuals starting
a career in the arts is central
to The Arches – Worcester

Festivals programme. An enthusiastic community participant performs in Cirque Bijou’s
Umbrella Project to Worcester crowds at Light Night Worcester
At the Light Night Worcester festival staged in January this into my work through risk assessments and
2020, students from the University of Worcester and contingency planning. I also got to speak with an Events
Dancefest took part in Cirque Bijou’s Umbrella Project Manager for Disney!”
along with other community participants.
In October the temporary art installation In Memoriam
Graduate Producer, Maria-Magdalena played an essential came to Worcester, creating a place for people to visit and
role in bringing the event to life. She said of the experience: remember all those who have been lost during the COVID
“Every day I learned something new. I accumulated skills pandemic. This gave both Martha and Maria-Magdalena
which I can now use to further and continue my career in some hands-on experience in supporting and promoting
producing. For a new graduate, having the opportunity to an outdoor art installation.
work on festivals of such scale is rare.”
It was also fantastic to see Ellie Dart, Worcestershire Young
Spring 2020 saw the appointment of apprentice Martha Poet Laureate, reading her commissioned poem, inspired
Henley, who took up the role of Events Assistant at by In Memorium, as she stood among the flags. This was
Severn Arts. The festival programme had to flex and broadcast on social media, adding to her many career-
adapt to the ongoing pandemic, but the opportunities for building experiences over the course of the year.
Martha didn’t stop.
 For more information:
She says: “I completed the NCRQ Health and Safety W: thearchesworcesterfestivals.co.uk
training course and I’ve already started to implement W: severnarts.org.uk

Applications are now open for

Worcestershire’s Young Poet Laureate 2021

Each year, young people from across Through a range of events and
the county are invited to take part in opportunities, the programme
a poetry competition by submitting celebrates young people’s writing
two examples of their work for talent and provides platforms for
review by a judging panel. young people to make their voices
heard, explore issues that matter to
The competition is run jointly by them and perform their work to a wide
Worcestershire Libraries and Severn range of audiences.
Arts – but hurry, because the deadline
to enter is Sunday 28 March 2021. Previous winners have had their
Submissions are judged across three work published, performed live,
age categories: 8–11, 12–15 and been interviewed by local radio and
16–18, with one winner per age commissioned to write more poetry.
bracket. Of the three finalists, one
young person is awarded the title of For more information and to enter, go Worcestershire Young Poet Laureate
Young Poet Laureate. to worcestershire.gov.uk/youngpoet Ellie Dart - RAV Photography

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