Youth drama at Tilbury
By Susan Elkin, The Stage
From my home in north Kent this is just a quick trip via the Dartford Crossing and yet, when you get there, it’s like another world. The very stage the enthusiastic youngsters — with the adults who were leading them — were hip hopping on is, for example, the exact spot used not long before by Nick Griffin to campaign for the British National Party, which is alarmingly strong in this area.
Now, this weekend, Theatre Is, a company based in The Hat Factory in Luton, is again fulfilling its mission to enable young people “to create theatre in unlikely places” in the same area. And the result is very much a case of “by the young people of Thurrock for the people of Thurrock.”
This weekend (October 29-30) young people from Thurrock, many of whom have never previously engaged with the arts, are involved in Tilbury Tightrope. And the venue is the London Cruise Terminal at the Port of Tilbury.
Based on Gillian Cross’s popular novel, Tilbury Tightrope tells the story of 14 year old Ashley, daredevil, heroine, young carer and brilliant graffiti artist. It is a timely, modern day parable illustrating the power of art and self-determination to enlighten and unite fragmented communities.
The piece uses hip hop as a base, but also moves into lindy hop, songwriting, and visual arts- whatever forms tell the story. These young performers, we are promised, put their community at the centre of this unusual show.
Thanks to partnerships with The Port of Tilbury, the Royal Opera House and The Gateway Academy, Tilbury Tightrope means that young performers get the opportunity to work with a pretty diverse artistic team - combining extensive professional experience with exciting emerging artists.
Led by director Stuart Mullins, writer Anna Reynolds and designer/choreographer Helen Parlor, the project also includes urban artists from It’s Our Theatre: B girl, performer and dance teacher, Sunsun; singer/songwriter David Harks, and Sri Mackinnon, one of Britain’s few female graffiti artists.
This initiative began in late August as an It’s Our Theatre project funded by Thurrock Council. Developmental workshops ran through September and rehearsals in earnest began earlier this month.
Yet another example of drama, drama activity and performance changing people and communities.
