Tricycle Theatre – based in Kilburn – recently created six new theatre companies through its work with six venues across the borough of Brent in London. Five of the new companies will be specifically for young people, and one of which will be for all ages. The new initiative is hoped to engage with the communities of Brent, naming the scheme Mapping Brent. The work the young companies produce next year will be a clear indicator of what matters to them and how they view the world today.As a result, the companies will stage workshops, events and activities in Neasden, South Kilburn, Stonebridge, Wembley Park, Harlesden and Kilburn, providing new opportunities for people across the borough, especially younger audiences on which the initiative is focused. This comes at an apt time, amongst news that arts GCSE numbers are decreasing – this could provide a boost to counter these figures next year.
The playwrights and directors involved in the new project include Sonali Bhattacharyya, Cressida Brown, Toby Clarke, Tinuke Craig, Emma Dennis Edwards, Shereen Jasmin-Phillips, Chino Odimba, Nadia Papachronopoulou, Toby Peach and Somalia Seaton. These individuals will lead the project, which has been funded by the Brent London Borough Council, the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation, John Lyons and Arts Council England.
The members of the companies who will be involved in the project have been drawn from the local community, and will begin working on their acting skills over 20 sessions. The project will then culminate in six new performance pieces which will be staged in spring 2017, providing young people with a voice through the theatre. This is more vital in the twenty-first century than ever before, then providing a platform on which these voices can be heard.