International Youth Arts Festival (IYAF) is an annual youth arts festival held in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames every July. The festival was founded in 2009 by Robin Hutchinson MBE and more than 25,000 young people have delivered the festival as participants and volunteers since its inception.
| International Youth Arts Festival | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Festival |
| Dates | July (exact dates vary each year) |
| Location(s) | Kingston upon Thames |
| Country | England |
| Founded | 2009 |
| Website | www |
IYAF is an open-access performing arts festival and the festival programme includes a range of art forms including theatre, dance, music, comedy, visual arts and children's shows.
International Youth Arts Festival 2018 will take place from 6–15 July 2018.[1]
Open access
editInternational Youth Arts Festival is an open-access mixed arts festival: it does not book performers and anyone may participate, with any type of performance. The official programme categorises shows into sections for theatre, comedy, children and family shows, music and circus.
Venues
editSince the first International Youth Arts Festival, venues across the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames have been supporting artists by transforming their venues into performance spaces. The festival includes over 200 events staged in venues including Rose Theatre, Arthur Cotterell Theatre, Kingston Library, Fairfield Recreation Ground, Eagle Brewery Wharf and The Library club.
People
editArtistic Directors
edit2016 - Andy Currums[2]
2015 - Trevor Blackman[3]
2009 - 2014 Aniela Zaba
Patrons
editFestival patrons include Angellica Bell, Michael Underwood,[4] Tom Holland,[2] Tom Chambers, Chike Okonowo[citation needed], Sheridan Smith and Matt Lucas.[5]
Chairman and founding trustee
editRobin Hutchinson MBE
References
edit- ^ "INTERNATIONAL YOUTH ARTS FESTIVAL KINGSTON – Enabling young people to realise their potential through the arts". www.iyafestival.org.uk. Retrieved 16 November 2016.
- ^ a b "Kingston's IYAF names new director as charity gets celebrity patrons". Epsom Guardian. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
- ^ "New International Youth Arts Festival director announced". Surrey Comet. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
- ^ Leisure, Time &. "Time & Leisure Local Lifestyle Magazine". www.timeandleisure.co.uk. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
- ^ "Kingston begins countdown to country's biggest youth arts festival - South West Londoner". South West Londoner. 11 June 2013. Retrieved 19 October 2016.