Led by Chez Dunford, the Exploring Thrutopia project encouraged people to explore the relationship and balance of Human Nature in the Wye Valley through creative games and performing arts.
Chez worked with Brockweir Youth Club, Engage Youth Circus at Cinderford Arts Space, Savoy Youth Theatre and the Kangaroo Choir, to support explorations in creativity and themes of humanity: joy, grief, and the ongoing cycles of nature. Together, the groups worked towards performance material for the festival: joining performances together, creating double bills, walkabout, parade, movement, music and much more! Here are some images of Chez’s group performances during our Merry Mischief Day in Monmouth on 28 May 2022:
Partners
Engage Youth Circus
Engage Youth Circus developed a brand new show for the 2022 festival: Spirits of the Light and Dark.
The delicate dance in the cycles of life – the light and shade, the dark, the delight. What do these spirits see and feel about the natural world as it stands in chaos? Can we understand the message they whisper? Are we on time? Too late? Too soon? Can we still make the world a place to love and live and survive?
Kangaroo Choir
The Kangaroo Choir is a choir for parents of children aged 0-5. They sing a range of uplifting, fun to sing songs (for grown ups, no nursery rhymes!) from around the world in harmony. It is led by Jenn, who is passionate about nurturing the wellbeing of parents and caregivers in the early years of childhood.
Kingfisher’s Chorus
The Kingfisher’s Chorus welcomes anyone and everyone who wants to sing for the fun of it and to create music and harmony together in Redbrook.
Savoy Youth Theatre
Savoy were proud to present ’Willow’s Garden‘ at WVRF 2022, a play devised with the young people. Willow is a little girl with an inspirational imagination, who has created a beautiful and safe garden for her and her friends who find themselves homeless after floods and storms have devastated towns and villages. They performed at Bridges Centre in Monmouth on 28 May 2022 as part of the festival.
The Savoy Youth Theatre has been running for over twelve years and are an inclusive arts group whose aim is to give young people a voice in their community and also offer the best in arts and theatre training. If you would like to find out more about how you can become involved in the Savoy Youth Theatre email savoyyt@gmail.com or find them on Facebook.
About Chez:
Chez is a theatre maker, circus artist and community practitioner using music and story to connect people. She is also an independent musician performing both self-penned and traditional folk songs. She believes in the power of sharing stories to anchor, learn from, and process our human existence. Taking a multi-disciplinary approach, from theatre to dance, clown to music, written word to improvisation, Chez responds to people, environment, nature, holding groups in a playful way to access the more serious topics and emotions in life; honouring and being inspired by what is happening in the moment.
Connect with Chez at chez.wvrf@gmail.com
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