Dover’s first ever Youth Festival launches new cultural space
An 8-day artistic, social and cultural event that collaborates with local creative pioneers
Dover Youth Festival is a celebration of more than 400 young voices, matching the creative and cultural talent of Dover with the hobbies and passions of the town’s younger inhabitants.
Launching during half-term on Saturday 21st October in a brand new cultural venue upstairs at The Charlton Centre, the festival covers over a week’s worth of artistic, sporting, culinary and cultural activities inspired by the Dover Youth Survey commissioned by organisers Future Foundry, who discovered 86.9% of Dover’s Youth have fascinating creative hobbies and passions.
The brand new exhibition space hosting the festival will have a mini cinema and performance space, chill out zone, workshop area and bespoke exhibits of the exciting projects that local schools and groups have undertaken in response to the Dover Youth Survey.
All the activities will be aimed at 11-19 year olds, to welcome their families and the general public to get involved in the programme and events, which are led by Dover’s finest creatives, makers and doers.
Dover Youth Festival runs from 21st to 28th September 2023, held upstairs in Future Foundry’s project space, The Charlton Centre, 41 High St, Dover CT16 1TT. It’s open to the public 10am-5pm Monday-Saturday, and 11am-4pm on Sunday.
Programme Highlights
Opening Ceremony
The festival will be opened by the Mayor of Dover, Sue Jones, accompanied by Kevin Mills, the Leader of Dover District Council and Adam Coleman, Senior Manager for Children, Young People & Learning from Arts Council England. With a special performance from songwriter singer Jake St Ange from 2pm on Saturday 21st October 2023.
Ceramics workshop with Great Pottery Throwdown’s Rainna Erbas
Ceramic artist Rainna Erbas and fashion designer Gloria Jane Royer have collaborated with St Edmund's Catholic School to look at the nature around Dover, natural forms, and how they can be represented in a variety of media, as well as exploring how Dover's young people feel about nature and the environment.
Drag n Drop with local drag talent Crunchy Noodle, Cheryl Shots and ItsEmmaPanda
Dover's very own Anxious Pickle Club will be leading drag workshops for 14 to 19 year olds. Come and learn the life changing liberation of drag with terrific tips from Crunchy Noodle, the death defying dance moves of Cheryl Shots and the endless glamour of Dover legend ItsEmmaPanda.
Food with Casey Brett
The artist and a group from Dover Grammar School for Boys have been examining the importance of food, cooking and eating for Dover's Young people. Their research has also focused on the future of masculinity in Britain, by interrogating the ways in which food has been connected with traditional domestic gender roles.
Girls Football in school and in town
On Sunday 15th of October, Future Foundry held a Dover Girls' Football day in partnership with Dover Athletic Football Club, to debunk negative stereotypes connected with girls and women’s football, and help towards the aspiration of forming a Dover Girls’ Football team and kit. Dover Athletic FC and Future Foundry have been doing some in-school training with Dover Grammar School for Girls too!
Future Foundry Film Festival
Future Foundry has launched its first ever Film Festival. Working with the filmmaker and archivist Ed Webb Ingall, as curator and programmer, they have invited the young people of Dover to submit their DIY films to be shown in the festival programme, and will be offering further opportunities during the week. There will also be an original artist film shown by the ‘The Forge’ youth club and their time spent with local filmmaker Rhiana Bonterre.
Closing Ceremony with Channel 4 & Netflix’s Drag SOS Shaun Dawson (Poppy Love)
Having already hosted a session for parents and young people about Parental Acceptance and being a proud LGBTQIA+ ally, Shaun will close the festival with a speech and specially selected musical soundtrack inspired by the events of the week.
The Cultural Survey and Dover Youth Festival has been supported by Dover Grammar School For Boys, Dover Grammar School For Girls, St Edmunds Catholic School, Dover Christ Church Academy, Arts Council England, Dover Town Council, Dover District Council, East Kent Cultural Partnerships, Pie Factory Music, Arts Council England, Artswork, Arts Award, and Artsmark.
Check Future Foundry's website: futurefoundry.org.uk over the next week and social media for updates on Dover Youth Festival.
