The Millennium Forum presents the InterAct Youth Arts Festival 2023
By Niamh McDaid | Jun 16, 2023 | News
Members of the Millennium Forum Youth Forum, pictured with Mayor Patricia Logue, and Millennium Forum Board member Dolores O Reilly, Launching InterAct 2023 youth festival.
Members of the Millennium Forum Youth Forum, pictured with Mayor Patricia Logue, and Millennium Forum Board Member Dolores O Reilly, Education Officer Mags Anderson and sponsors Grainne O Doherty from Store and Go and Peter Reid from Craft Training.
The InterAct Youth Arts Festival is back for its 15th year. Renowned in the North West for its astounding array of FREE summer activities, InterAct is a unique festival created by youth for youth. Spear-headed by the Millennium Forum’s Youth Forum – a pro-active group of teens that works tirelessly to plan and programme the events – InterAct is on the cutting edge of young people’s skills development and entertainment.
This year, InterAct will begin on Monday 3rd July with a packed schedule of 10 filled days in the Forum and out in the community. It will include an acting for stage and screen workshop with our youth patron and Derry Girl Jamie Lee O’ Donnell, workshops in DJ Skills, acting, hip hop, drag costume design, Sound tech, drumming from around the world, creative writing & poetry, animation and much more! All this culminates on Friday 14th July at 5 pm with the InterAct Showcase event which will be a fully interactive experience exploring the fantastic work each workshop has developed through the week. Expect colour, noise, laughter, energy and lots of surprises! We are proud to say all workshops and masterclasses are FREE. Tickets for the Showcase are £3.00 (free for participants) and can be purchased from the Forum Box Office.
Mags Anderson, Education and Outreach Officer said:
“InterAct continues to grow every year in the variety of workshops on offer, offering opportunities for young people aged 12-21 throughout the local area and further afield. Our goal is simple; to give access to some of the best arts facilitation and professional experiences around. We are pleased to say that with the help and commitment of our Youth Forum, our funders and the Millennium Forum, we’ve come up with a FREE programme that continues to deliver the biggest youth arts festival the city has to offer! It is fully inclusive and we offer assistance for any additional needs for any workshop. We have also grown our community element and this year have partnered with Lincoln Courts Youth Centre and St Mary Youth Centre in Creggan so that even more young people have the chance to interact and perform on our stage.
Brona Whittaker, Head of Arts at Arts & Business NI commented: “We are delighted to support the partnership between Millenium Forum and Store and Go, through the A&B NI Investment Programme fund, which brings creative collaborations between the commercial and cultural sectors to life. The InterAct Youth Arts Festival is a fantastic opportunity for any young person with a creative spark and the ‘Show and Go’ all-inclusive arts workshops, will provide an exciting platform for young people to explore the creative industries and take a starring role on stage at the Millennium Forum Theatre. It’s a great opportunity for any budding young creatives, to take-part, to learn and be inspired.”
Grainne O Doherty, Store Manager of Store & Go and sponsor commented: “We are delighted to be involved in supporting InterAct Youth Arts Festival with the Millennium Forum. In particular, the outreach elements, which will give young people from St Mary’s Youth Centre and Lincoln Courts Youth Centre the chance to perform on stage at the Millennium Forum. This festival is going to be loads of fun for all those participating and for the wider community who attend the Grand Showcase on the 14th of July”.
Full details of the InterAct Festival programme are now available from the Forum’s Box Office or on our website www.millenniumforum.co.uk/interact or you can download the programme here: https://issuu.com/millenniumforum2/docs/interact_2023_programme_002_
All classes and workshops can be booked online. Telephone 71 264455 or visit millenniumforum.co.uk for details.
The InterAct Youth Arts Festival is funded by the Arts Council N.I Derry City Strabane District Council, A&B N.I and Store and Go
For more information on the festival, contact Mags Anderson, Education & Schools Marketing Officer, on 02871 272776 or email magsc@millenniumforum.co.uk.
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