Looping the Loop Youth Theatre in Thanet

Thank you for being one of the extremely kind people who supported our crowdfunder to launch a new Youth Theatre for Thanet in 2024. We've had a fantastic time over this last year or so and recently had new support from the Smew Fund to enable Looping the Loop to launch a third session each week. We now have an extra Junior group on Mondays, all taking place at the ARK in Cliftonville. We're just building this new class and want to ask if you can help us to spread the word. We're offering trial sessions for new people at just £1 a time until Christmas; it gives everyone a chance to see if it's for them, and we'll still give places free, with a bursary, if that's needed. If you can share our news, we'd be very grateful. The main details are attached and anyone interested can call 07939 542990, email [email protected] or click www.loopingtheloop.org/thanet-youth-theatre. the £1 offer stands for everyone. Thank you so much Suzy & Ellie @ Looping the Loop

Hello! We wanted to let you know that the Thanet Youth Theatre you helped to launch is going beautifully well. The groups are on the summer break until September, when we move to the ARK Cultural Centre in Cliftonville as our regular base. The Tom Thumb is too small for the growing numbers, but we will be back there for occasional sessions. In the meantime, Looping the Loop is using summer to work on our project to make a community play, based on Lord George Sanger and the world of circus. We hope to make a huge event happen in autumn 2025, Sanger's bi-centenary. This week, we're testing whether we can make an elephant with a community of young people! Sanger had 12 elephants which paraded the seafronts in Thanet. They were kept in Margate a short distance from Dreamland, so an elephant would be a key part of making this story. Master puppeteer James Frost will work with young people, guardians, anyone that appears in Ellington Park on Wednesday 14 August, for the Young Minds Wellness Day. If you're in the area, pop by - we can use all the help we can get, with cardboard and tape and all manner of things, to discover how to build our own Elli-phant! Thank you again for being so supportive. With best wishes Ellie, Suzy, Estelle and Cemanthe www.loopingtheloop.org

We had a great fun and first term and are, as you know, now heading into the summer. The first term was full of getting to know you games like King of the Castle – a hybrid version of Grandmother’s footsteps where if you’re caught moving you instantly become a character who has arrived in the King (or Queen)’s garden and improvise a good reason or excuse why you’re there. The monarch can then let you stay, move you forward or send you back to the gates. We had some lovely intruders and great interplay - from egg-sellers with an excess of duck eggs to uni-cyclists and even the odd evil thief! Although why they admitted to that is beyond me – a double bluff, perhaps? Bri shared a snippet of her show “Living Legends – and dead ones too” in one session and the teams have been looking at creating their own legends. Improvisation has been the order of the day with the young people often surprising themselves with their own creativity in the moment. One such improvisation took place in the toilets!

As we near the end of the first term, it's been a fantastic time with the students. We are still oversubscribed with our Juniors and almost full with Seniors which is amazing :) We've gotten to know everyone, played games and started to develop confidence in performance. Our next project is also already on the go and starts 12 June which you're most welcome to come along to! It's our Social Singing Sessions, a great way to develop confidence, meet new people and sing which is proven to relieve stress. All are welcome, it's in Ramsgate from 11am and weekly. https://www.loopingtheloop.org/social-singing-sessions

Since the close of our crowdfunding appeal for the new Youth Theatre for Thanet, we’ve been busy confirming our venue and getting everything in place to begin classes on Tuesday 16 April. We will be at the delightful Tom Thumb Theatre in Cliftonville, Margate at least until July. We have performed there many times over the years and it will be a happy space for the new Youth Theatre attendees. INVITATION We invite you to join us at the Tom Thumb Theatre on Tuesday 16 April between 3pm – 4pm, for a viewing of the theatre and to enable us to say Thank You for your generosity in supporting our project. We will serve refreshments and it will be a lovely chance to meet the project team. RSVP: [email protected] / 07939 542990 (Suzy) With our fondest wishes Suzy, Ellie, Estelle, Cemanthe, Brigitte and James