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We believe passionately in the creative empowerment of children and young people, and this belief drives everything we do.

Our work with young people includes our own theatre, dance and technical groups, our work with local schools, and ART31, a pioneering Kent-wide cultural leadership project for young people, led by young people.

We work with some of the very best companies in contemporary theatre and dance, and our 340 seat theatre provides a special, intimate venue where audiences feel connected to the performers.

Every August we organise the bOing! International Family Festival, with performers from across Europe joining us for a busy summer weekend.

We act as a catalyst developing and curating ideas, commissioning new work and supporting emerging talent from Canterbury and East Kent, and in April 2015 we became an Arts Council of England National Portfolio Organisation in recognition of our developing role as a pioneer in the creative empowerment and engagement of children and young people.

Family Arts Standards

'She will never forget her time at the National Theatre as part of Connections'
Kay, Parent
'Harry has really enjoyed doing TECH31. He absolutely loves it. It's helped him to decide his career path'
Tracey, Parent

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

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