Online festival supports Northamptonshire artists

Published: 13 October 2020
Reporter: Steve Orme

Streamed online: the 2015 co-production of Spymonkey and Told by an Idiot’s Every Last Trick Credit: Robert Day

The Generate talent development programme at Northampton’s Royal and Derngate is to stage Gen-Fest, a week-long online festival dedicated to supporting the work of Northamptonshire artists.

Gen-Fest will showcase the work of the Generate artists—local performers working closely with the venue to create new work—as well as providing learning and training opportunities for professional artists at any stage of their career.

There will be workshops and masterclasses with companies including Improbable, Hydrocracker, Spymonkey, Nottingham Playhouse and In Good Company, the professional, creative and business development programme for theatre-makers in the Midlands. Subjects will range from lighting design, casting and devising to networking, fundraising and budgeting.

The venue will also live-stream its 2015 co-production of Spymonkey and Told by an Idiot’s production of Georges Feydeau’s Every Last Trick for free to all participants.

Featured Generate artists sharing their scratch performances will be Joshua Baldwin, Michaela Blackburn, Helen Clifford, Tristan Jackson-Pate, Amy Jones, Henry C Krempels, Megan Lucas, Beth Markey, Amina Moss, Andy Routledge, Georgia Tillery Randak, Joe Roberts and Bobby-Lee Scott.

Royal and Derngate creative learning associate Erica Martin commented, “Northamptonshire is a region full of diverse and incredible artists making interesting work, with a great enthusiasm for sharing their wide range of knowledge and skills.

“I’m thrilled we’re able to offer this platform to showcase their talents and offer a broad programme of workshops both for artists in our region and those further afield. I hope this will be the first of many online festivals dedicated to those whose careers are clearly viable.”

Gen-Fest will take place from Monday 2 until Sunday 8 November and can be accessed through the Royal and Derngate web site. All performances and events will be free but places must be booked in advance.

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