Juice – The festival for children
NewcastleGateshead will launch its first festival for children and young people this weekend, showcasing a mouth-watering range of performances, events, activities and workshops with something for all ages from 0 to 18. Juice will run from 27 September – 30 November and is a highlight of NewcastleGateshead’s world-class programme of festivals and events for 2008, developed by culture10.Opening events
Celebrating the strength of young people’s cultural activity in NewcastleGateshead, the fun and interactive programme is all about doing, not just viewing. It kicks off with the first visit by inspirational young artists from the poorest communities of Rio de Janeiro, AfroLata, who have collaborated with local young people to create an energetic, colourful opening performance at Dance City: Favela to the World.
Established as a cultural and artistic outlet for teenagers from the slums of Rio, otherwise drawn into a culture of drugs and conflict, AfroLata (a sub group of world-famous musicians AfroReggae) create exciting percussion performances using instruments made solely from recycled materials. Following an AfroReggae workshop for community leaders from North East England earlier this summer, three local youth groups have been creating and rehearsing their own performances around issues of conflict and unity which will premiere alongside AfroLata on 28 September.
The Royalty Theatre Youth Academy from Sunderland, the Hexham Bistas and Pe Na Rua based in Newcastle include more than 30 young people from across the region aged from 14 to 21, all of whom will appear on stage together with AfroLata this weekend.
A highlight of Juice, Favela to the World is also a celebration of the launch weekend of the Cultural Olympiad and the festival itself has been awarded the London 2012 Inspire mark (see notes to editors).
A popular, annual event for all the family, Gateshead Family Sculpture Day at Saltwell Park will also help to kick off Juice (28 September) with its fairytale theme of Turrets and Towers. The following week will see the opening of a brand new exhibition inspired by the work of award-winning local author David Almond at Seven Stories the Centre for Children’s Books entitled Winged Tales of the North (opens 2 October) plus a special Meet David Almond event (4 October) in partnership with the Great North Run Cultural Programme.
October half term
During October half term (25 October – 2 November), Juice will really come alive with a host of events involving many of NewcastleGateshead’s award-winning family attractions and cultural venues as well as activity happening in some exciting and unexpected locations.
Highlights include Winged Tales of the North at Seven Stories, an interactive, role play trail with Live Theatre, a treasure hunt for all the family around the ‘city of stories’, and exciting new child-friendly installations brought to life in the city’s heritage buildings.
Stretch, an incredible, interactive performance piece involving more than six miles of elastic stretched across an immense space, brings together sculpture, dance, sound and video. Located in the Robert Stephenson Centre, short performances by dancer Ragnhild Olsen are followed by the opportunity for the young audience to explore the stretchy sculpture for themselves. (Performance Fri 31 Oct – Sat 1 Nov)
The Kurdish Garden, a magical, multi-sensory carpet in the Castle Keep will also offer children an unforgettable experience. Created by Italy’s leading theatre company for children, TPO, Kurdish Garden combines motion capture technology with emotive performance. A visual landscape is created as dancers weave their way across the carpet triggering images and soundscapes with their movements. The audience are in turn invited onto the carpet to take part in the performance and are able to shape the landscape as they too trigger images and sounds in real time. (Performances Sat 25 – Wed 29 Oct)
With events for all ages, The Suggestibles comedy troupe have created a special Juice workshop which is set to be a hit with the young and young at heart. Creators of You Tube phenomenon Pour Quoi, a short film by The Suggestibles that poked fun at ‘Free Running’ and became an instant hit all over the internet, will offer a fun and frivolous workshop with tips for young comedy film-makers of the future. There’ll even be the opportunity for the best films created to be screened on the festival website and shown alongside the original Pour Quoi on You Tube. (Workshop 27 Oct)
Also during October half term, look out for The Squeeze, an information point, chill out space, mobile cinema, interactive hub and a car – this multi talented Juice-mobile will be making pit stops around Newcastle and Gateshead and amongst other things screening the best entries from the Portrait of a Region competition (see notes to editors). Plus, be sure to check out the wide range of workshops or Halloween themed events across a wide range of venues and attractions: try your hand at carving a pumpkin at BALTIC, sing with your family at The Sage Gateshead or prepare for those hairs on the back of your neck to stand up as you risk meeting The Grey Lady - Theatre Royal’s resident ghost.
Festival finale
A newly commissioned, contemporary opera of David Almond’s award-winning novel, Skellig, will premiere at The Sage Gateshead in November providing an enchanting festival finale. Co-commissioned by culture10 and The Sage Gateshead, Skellig will challenge all preconceptions of traditional opera with music by innovative American composer Tod Machover (who has worked with artists from Yo Yo Ma to Prince) and the libretto written by the author David Almond himself.
Music will be performed by Northern Sinfonia and the chorus will be made up from young singers from across the North East, including members of Quay Voices, The Sage Gateshead’s own youth choir. The extensive set construction will be managed by experienced designer Rae Smith, who has worked closely with expert colleagues from one of the region’s leading theatres, Northern Stage, where part of the set has already been built and stored. (Performances 24, 25, 27, 28 and 29 Nov)
The Juice website includes details of all events, activities and workshops – see juicefestival.co.uk.
Stella Hall, creative director of culture10, said: “Juice was initially inspired by Councillor Pauline Allen who identified the need for a children’s festival that would celebrate the strength of young people’s cultural activity here and welcome children from near and far to take part.
“Working in partnership with key NewcastleGateshead agencies and with young people themselves, we’re incredibly proud to present an exciting mix of activities to see and do over a fun-packed two months in this first festival of its kind in NewcastleGateshead.
“Throughout the run of Juice, you’re invited to discover, join in and share in stories old and new and find ways in which to tell them. There will be workshops, events and activities. You can interact with art installation Stretch, feel the magic of The Kurdish Garden, search for clues in our Treasure Hunt, make a film for Portrait of a Region and lots, lots more. We’ve squeezed loads of events into our first year for families and young people of all ages to get involved in – so do come along and take part!”
Gateshead-born and Whitbread award-winning children’s author David Almond said: “It’s great to have Juice happening right here in NewcastleGateshead – a place that’s rejuvenating itself and moving boldly into the future.
“It’s dead right that Juice is a festival for the young and the young at heart. I love the way that many of the events show that young people are capable of producing works of art that are worth being seen by everyone. It all emphasises the fact that young people are active citizens. So get involved, explore your own talents, take an active part in the rejuvenation of this wonderful part of the world. Enjoy the festival.”
Cllr Pauline Allen, Newcastle City Council’s executive member for culture, leisure and customer services, said: “I am delighted to be championing this exciting festival which I’m sure will inspire our city’s young people to get involved in arts and culture and show that it can be fun. Juice will also be an amazing opportunity in giving young people across the region the chance to learn about other cultures while celebrating their own.
“The region has played an important role in children’s literature and this festival will highlight the work of some of these successes including the work of David Almond’s Skellig which will be brought to life for the first time in an amazing new opera.”
Gateshead Council cabinet member for culture Cllr Linda Green said: "We've got a proud pedigree of world-class festivals and stunning cultural events in Gateshead and I know this ground breaking festival for our younger residents and visitors is going to add another exciting element to the mix.
"In Gateshead we're firmly committed to working with and providing for everyone in the borough from our youngest to our oldest and most experienced residents. Our contribution to the Juice Festival is just one part of that but I'm doubly delighted that we are working with such a high profile Gateshead figure as David Almond on our contribution to the festival."
