We want to create a love letter to Folkestone: For those who live here, after a period when we could only enjoy the seafront by ourselves or in small groups, we want to create a piece of theatre that [safely] brings people together to celebrate our wonderfully creative community again. Working with local schools we aim to developing a passion for community action and 'giving back' from a young age. Our aim is to create a piece of theatre that raises awareness of & action change towards the environmental impact that plastic has on the beaches & seas of Folkestone whilst creating a community event for all ages. We will build the capacity of the young people through skills-building in public speaking, active research, community sensitization & theatremaking. After a mentally challenging year these sessions will support young people's mental health, improving the whole community’s quality of life and bringing the arts back to the community after a period of closure.

What we'll deliver:

• Young participants engaging in community action
• Participants will facilitate environmental workshops using the skills gained during the project at school from Sept 21
• Educational resource packets will be co-created by participants & teachers to fit within the curriculum
• A community event for all ages to enjoy and feel inspired to volunteer going forwards

Why it's a great idea:

We want to create an outstanding theatre piece for family, friends, locals & visitors to Folkestone’s seafront after a period of little live performance to enhance their wellbeing & local connections. The message of the devised theatre will be focused on voluntary action - inspiring our community to get involved in beach cleans and other ecological activities. We have been inspired by the impressive work of our voluntary Mutual Aid Groups and want to keep this appetite for helping each other (and our environment) alive! The young participants will learn new skills,creatively interact with their peers & facilitators and enjoy being by the sea. We want to improve their mental health by working, laughing and performing live again after a period of isolation and leave them engaged and passionate about volunteering and the power of community action.

Steps to get it done:

• May & June - Participant Recruitment Activities
• 16 July Creative Workshop for participating artists
• 17 July Sensitization community surgery for project aims and objectives dissemination
• 3 - 14 August Project delivery through researching, devising, rehearsing and performing a site-specific play
• September 2021 – student-led workshops at their schools.
• October 2021 – Project Evaluation from students and facilitators.
• November 2021 – End of Project Report.

This creative & innovative project will utilize Folkestone-based facilitators [theatre director Matthew Hahn, playwright Kerry Ryan; puppeteer Andre Verissimo], young people & volunteers.The participants will be sourced from Brockhill Park Performing Arts College,Canterbury College & social media requests.Volunteers will be sourced from the friends of the Folkestone Performing Arts Centre facebook group & local mutual aid groups.They will serve as stewards at the performance to keep it Covid-secure & promote the performing arts centre’s work.The performances at the Lower Leas Amphitheatre will engage with an audience of friends,family,locals & visitors of Folkestone. As this project involves in-person collaboration,we will continue to be guided by government safety restrictions regarding the pandemic.We will update this page with any required changes or rescheduling of the project along the way.