The Nuffield Theatre leads the way for Arts and Kids

Local arts organisations and supporting businesses are blazing a trail for a new initiative designed to give every young person in the UK the chance to get involved with the arts.

The first opportunities for local young people to visit free performances across the North West have been made available through Arts and Kids. Arts and Kids is the brainchild of HRH the Prince of Wales, who approached Arts and Business to make his vision for future generations a reality and is funded by the Millennium Commission.

Vincent Dance Theatre and Retina Dance Company will be performing on the 15th and 28th October 2003 respectively at the Nuffield Theatre, Lancaster University. These companies will also be taking part in workshops with young people, giving them an opportunity to get involved in the arts in an exciting and accessible way. 65 young people from local schools will be able to attend thanks to investment from the Millennium Commission via Arts & Kids.

Vincent Dance Theatre’s On The House is a physical, visual and sonic delight: Taking place in a ‘glass’ house, the actors engage in a playful, moving duet through transparent walls. Performed without conventional seating, the audience is invited to sit or stand as close to or as far from the action as they wish.

Retina Dance Company’s Me:Mo, is a 2-piece work, the first a solo for choreographer Filip Van Huffel and the second a group performance. Vertical Memory and Horizontal Memory compare and contrast the themes of insignificance and magnitude.

The Prince of Wales Arts & Kids Foundation was launched in June 2002 at Buckingham Palace. It is a campaign to strengthen the work already underway to get young people involved in participating in and appreciating all art forms. Arts & Kids’ focus is to motivate the corporate sector to support the vital impact the arts can make on children and society.

Paul Smith, Director of Arts & Business North west said “Arts & Kids is an exciting initiative, enabling new generations to experience a dynamic, creative world at a very formative stage of their lives. Thanks to committed business sponsorship and to the Millennium Commission’s funding support, Arts & Kids has got off to a fantastic start and the interest already expressed by the private sector throughout the country is testimony to its long-term success. I am delighted that The Prince of Wales’ vision is being realised in Lancashire where it will mean so much to local people.”

The UK wide campaign is funded by the Millennium Commission and it is hoped that children throughout Britain will enjoy similar opportunities to those being made available in Wales over the coming months. Culture Secretary, the Rt Hon Tessa Jowell MP, who is chair of the Millennium Commission, said: “The scheme will make a real difference by opening up the world of performing arts to thousands of young people right across the UK, stimulating their senses and capturing their imaginations”.