Produced by some of those taking part, a record of the Tyne Wear Youth Theatres Festival which took place at Newcastle between the 14th and 21st July 1984. The film features many of the group workshops taking place at Newcastle Polytechnic where young people from across Tyne & Wear learn from professional various theatrical skills including acting, singing and dancing to set design and directing. Their weeks work leads to a final performance of street theatre they have produced taking...

Produced by some of those taking part, a record of the Tyne Wear Youth Theatres Festival which took place at Newcastle between the 14th and 21st July 1984. The film features many of the group workshops taking place at Newcastle Polytechnic where young people from across Tyne & Wear learn from professional various theatrical skills including acting, singing and dancing to set design and directing. Their weeks work leads to a final performance of street theatre they have produced taking place around Eldon Square. The film features interviews with some of those taking part as well as Roger Hill, Chairperson of the National Association of Youth Theatre and Phil Clark the director of the festival. Title: Striking Sparks A group of young musicians’ parade around the campus of Newcastle Polytechnic playing a variety of instruments; trombone, marching bass drum and clarinet feature. A newspaper headline from The Advertiser dated April 28th 1983 reads ‘Youth on Stage’ changes to a series of still images of young people performing or rehearsing on stage On the grassy quad of the polytechnic a crowd of young people countdown from ten to one. Title: Tyne Wear Youth Theatres Festival Title: 14th – 21st July 1984 An animated poster that reads ‘Theatres Festival. This Years Theme is… Striking Sparks!’. A crowd of young people aged between fourteen and twenty-one wonder around the quad, many are in costumes including one teenage boy dressed as a clown. In a classroom a group of young people rehearsing changing to them performing in the quad dressed as a biker gang and moving as a conga line. On another stage a group of young actors perform a scene from a play about being on strike. This is followed by a montage of other performances and rehearsals taking place on various stages. The ‘Striking Sparks!’ poster again featuring an image of a young boy changes to show a page from the festivals programme of events. In a large sports hall, a crowd of 250 young people take part in a warmup in preparation for the day ahead. Some run around the space, other do exercises stretching their muscles. They form a circle around the hall. In workshop space a professional theatre practitioner leads a smaller group to do more stretching exercises. A montage of various skill workshops featuring young people taking part in various activities from theatre to dance and aerobic to writing, design and directing. In a dance workshop three participants practice their steps, one of them is interviewed and is asked what she has been doing that morning as well as what she did the previous day. In another classroom a group of young people work on designing and painting a piece of a stage scenery which is laid out on the floor. A teenage boy talks about the friendships he has made while participating in the workshop. With mats on the floor another group of young people practice various stage combat moves for a piece of street theatre they will be performed in Eldon Square that Saturday. While most of the group are practicing hits and falls, two boy stand face to face juggling. One of those taking part talks about his character as a circus ring master and the challenges of performing on stilts. The group works together to come up with an original piece of street theatre, several practice an acrobatic routine. On another stage a young woman sings accompanied by someone on piano changes to the Kendal Mime Group perform a piece celebrating changes in the calendar year to other young people taking part in the festival. This is followed by a montage of scenes from two of the twenty-three other productions being worked on including scenes from the comedy ‘Cooking for Boys’ written by Steve Chambers and performed by the Wallsend Youth Theatre about the infiltration by the CIA of the women of Greenham Common. Wearing a punk outfit and sporting a Mohawk haircut, interview with Roger Hill, Chairperson of the National Association of Youth Theatre. He explains he is visiting the festival to see how it is organised and to see the energy of what young people can achieve. On stage members from the Durham Theatre Company, one of six local professional theatre companies taking part in the festival, perform a scene from the play ‘Magic Island’ by CP Taylor about the fantasises of a little girl. At another venue members of another professional company, ‘Wireless Wireless’ perform their own brand of satirical humour as a radio programme while in a classroom setting members of Skin and Bone Theatre Collective perform a scene from the play ‘Frankie’s Friends’ by Dave Holden about racism in the school playground. On another stage members of the company NE One perform a scene from the play ‘The Dividing Lie’ about the relationship between unemployment and racism. Interview with Phil Clark, Director of the festival, who provides some down-to-earth comments on the prosect of those taking part in the festival becoming a professional. He explains that at any one time 90% of Equity membership is out of work with many accepting unemployment being part of the job. The reality of being a theatre professional is a lot of unemployment, a lot of hard work and a lot of pushing to get your next job. In a classroom the theatre group seen at the start of the film rehearsing and performing as a biker gang continues to practice in readiness for their street theatre performance. Outside another group rehearse their performance. The Saturday morning of the final day of the festival groups come out of a building at Newcastle Polytechnic to go through final dress rehearsals. On a raised area in the polytechnic quod several groups perform their routines for their contemporise who stand around them watching. At Eldon Square in central Newcastle the performing young people stand with in their respective groups making final preparations. A man calls out one of the groups asking if they are ready, he holds up his red coat dropping it indicating they should begin. In one of three work areas the biker group seen previously perform their routines followed by a montage from some of the forty-five groups taking part. Their performances range from theatre to song and dance routines. Standing on her head one of the performers is asked what she gets out of youth theatre, to meet new people and do different things than she’s done before. Another younger participant talks about the experience they’ve gained, something they can keep for long time and pass on to others. Roger Hill says that youth theatre is a place where young people can try out different ways of doing things. As he speaks participants sit around eating their lunch and relaxing. Phil Clark explains that youth theatre is a product made by and for the community. Both he and Roger Hill provide closing comments. The young musicians featured at the start of the film continue their march and perform around the grounds of Newcastle Polytechnic. Title: Thanks to the sponsors of TWYTF Title: and to the patrons of TWYTF Title: Tyne & Wear Theatre Trust Title: Thanks to all theatre workers and tutors Title: Thanks to the Youth Theatres and young people of Tyne & Wear Credit: This tape was made by young people involved in the TWYTF with the assistance of Hugh Kelly Title: Editing facilities Amber Films End title: © Tyne & Wear Theatre Trust Swingbridge Video 1984 The film ends on the young woman standing on her head, she askes if she can stop now.