Big Umbrella opens to reveal Oxfordshire's young creative talent

5 February 2008

Oxfordshire's artistic stars of the future will come out in force later this month. On 19 February, for one night only, young people from across the county will take part in The Big Umbrella. Held in Oxford Town Hall, the event will see performers of all kinds display their skills in an exciting and fast moving showcase

Theatre, dance, acrobatics, street stunts and music of all kinds – from opera to rap – will be on show in a sequence of 5–10 minute pieces. The evening will include the first-ever public performances by Garsington Youth Opera and 16/22 – The Oxford Playhouse Youth Theatre. The Big Umbrella will be hosted by the rapper MC Yungster from the Courtyard Youth Arts Centre in Bicester. A professional team, led by top choreographer, Helen Parlor, will produce the event. Alongside the performance, there will also be a display of art works and films in the Town Hall Art Gallery.

The Big Umbrella is produced by the Oxfordshire Youth Arts Partnership (OYAP Trust) and supported by Oxfordshire County Council Cultural Services and Oxford Inspires. OYAP Trust's Director, Helen Le Brocq, said: “Oxford Town Hall has seen many things in its time – but probably nothing quite like this. I think people will be astonished by the creativity and diversity of the performances and artworks that will be on show. For the young people involved, this is also an important opportunity to show their work in a professional environment.“

Richard Munro, Director of Cultural Services at Oxfordshire County Council, said: “The Big Umbrella is a great opportunity for the public to enjoy a taste of the wonderful artistic work being done by Oxfordshire's young people. The County Council believes in the right of every young person to take part in cultural activity and I very much hope The Big Umbrella will inspire even more young people to take advantage of the artistic and cultural opportunities the county has to offer.”

The evening may have an added bonus for some of the young people involved. The Big Umbrella marks the Oxford launch of Portrait of a Nation , a Heritage Lottery Fund campaign to engage young people from 18 cities – including Oxford – in Liverpool European Capital of Culture 2008. Performers at The Big Umbrella will have the opportunity to apply to be in the team of 10-15 young people from Oxfordshire who will perform at the Liverpool Capital of Culture celebrations in December 2008.

The Big Umbrella is a free event, but wristbands giving entry to the performance on 19 February must be booked in advance by phoning 01869 602560.

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Contact: Rachel Viney T: 01491 836969 E: rachel@vineyassociates.com

NOTES TO EDITORS

Also taking part in The Big Umbrella will be a group of young people from Liverpool. They will present a short film and welcome young people from Oxfordshire to the Liverpool Capital of Culture Celebrations in December 2008.

OYAP Trust is the youth arts development agency for Oxfordshire. Its mission is to bring the experience of participating in the arts to young people in Oxfordshire, providing a variety of opportunities for them to benefit from the ability of the arts to encourage them to explore, experience, create, learn, be inspired, develop, take part, demonstrate and enjoy. It is currently developing a series of carbon neutral projects called Zero Footprint, which will see over 20 artists working with over 250 young people across the county.

OYAP Trust was formed in 2005. This independent charitable organisation was born out of the Oxfordshire Youth Arts Partnership, which was formed in 1998 as an active working partnership between the five district councils, Oxfordshire County Council, and the Arts Council. Contact: jo@oyap.org.uk

Listings Information

The Big Umbrella – Performance
Date: Tuesday 19 February 2008
Time: 6.30pm
Address: Oxford Town Hall, St Aldates, Oxford OX1 1BX
Price: Free entry (but please phone to reserve places in advance)
Telephone: 01869 602560

The Big Umbrella – Art Galley
Dates: Tuesday 19 and Wednesday 20 February 2008
Times: 9am–6pm
Address: Oxford Town Hall, St Aldates, Oxford OX1 1BX
Price: Free
Telephone: 01869 602560

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