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    Behind the Scenes: Meet The Community Choruses

    9 Nov 2021

    A community chorus drawn from across Kent will bring one of the world’s oldest plays to life in Canterbury in November 2021.

    We caught up with some members of the choruses to find out about their experience being part of the production so far and the themes of the play #TheSuppliantWomen.

    Telling the story of fifty young women who flee Egypt by boat to escape forced marriage. They seek asylum from King Pelasgus. Not wanting to be responsible for putting his people in harm’s way, the King asks the citizens of Argos to vote on whether or not the girls should be given refuge. Will they vote to take the women in?

    Featuring a chorus drawn from the local community, and using Ancient Greek techniques, The Suppliant Women is part play, part ritual, part theatrical archaeology.

    Watch all our interviews on our YouTube channel

    The Suppliant Women is first part of an epic cycle of plays. Be in at the start of an extraordinary journey into the past as Gulbenkian Arts Centre work with The Foreign Office and Wild Yak Production to bring ancient plays to life on the stage. Seen at major festivals around the world to huge acclaim, The Suppliant Women now comes to the Gulbenkian Arts Centre,.

    The Suppliant Women will be performed at Gulbenkian Arts Centre from 11 – 14th November 2021. Find out more about the performance & book tickets.

    ART31

    ART31 takes its name from Article 31 of the UN Convention on the Rights of a Child, which states that ‘Children have the right to relax and play, and to join in a wide range of cultural, artistic and other recreational activities’.

    ART31 is a vision created with, by, and for young people in Kent, championing the belief that all children and young people have an entitlement to access high quality arts and culture, to empower them to achieve their creative potential, and to genuinely engage young people as equal partners in any decision making that affects them.

    The ART31 Youth Board is made up of young people from across Kent aged 13-25 who steer its governance, and influence policy and practice across the county and beyond, challenging the creative sector to examine existing ways of working and integrate young people into the core of their practice.

    Our projects with young people

    GENFest Young people posing in a cardboard Instagram frame

    ART31 Generate

    ART31 Generate is made up of young people from across Kent aged 13-25. They steer ART31's governance, influence arts policy and practice, and programme the annual GENFest Youth Takeover Festival.

    Youth Theatre

    Fantastic and fun sessions for ages 13-18 years, encouraging creativity and theatre-making skills.

    Live Streaming film equipment.

    SCREEN31

    Screen31 is a group for young people aged 15-25 interested in developing their film-making skills.
    TECH31

    TECH31

    TECH31 provides free practical training in technical theatre for ages 13 - 25
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    National Theatre Connections – Gulbenkian Young Company

    NT Connections is the National Theatre’s nationwide youth theatre festival. Each year it offers a unique opportunity for youth theatres and school theatre groups to stage new plays written for young people by some of theatre’s most exciting playwrights, and to perform in leading theatres across the UK.
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    Gulbenkian Uncovered

    Are you enthusiastic, committed and creative? Gulbenkian Uncovered gives University of Kent students the chance to programme films and run events.

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    Square Pegs Arts

    Square Pegs Arts are an award winning charity who provide drama groups, music projects and other accessible Arts opportunities for children and young adults who have learning disabilities and autism, and produce original, inspiring, challenging Theatre. Difference is celebrated and everyone is supported to shine in their own way.
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    KRAN Fam

    KRAN Fam is a drama group in partnership with Kent Refugee Action Network for young refugees and asylum-seekers.

    Accessible Film Club

    Relaxed Screenings

    Monthly film screenings that are open to all, especially those with autism and learning disabilities.

    Young People - Screen31 ARTY31

    ARTY31

    Gulbenkian’s ARTY31 group is for young people aged 8-12 with a wide variety of arts interests.

    Film tickets

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