8-12 July 2021
With a blended programme of live and in-person events, performances, exhibitions and workshops, alongside virtual events and programmes – all for free.
True to our ethos, the YNAF 2021 programme was created by young people for young people, with particular thanks to our YNA Collective and the young people we work with for their creativity and energy. Their inspiration runs throughout the Festival, whether that’s themes of migration, LGBTQ+ and community through the City of Strangers audio trail, or reconnecting through the ReConnect ReDiscover ReEngage exhibition.
Take a look at some of our Festival highlights below….
LIVE STREAMS
YNAF 2021 LAUNCH
VIRTUAL LOST RIVER STAGE
LOST RIVER STAGE
Photographs by Abby George and Tallulah Self
NEW MUSE TEXTILE WORKSHOP
Photographs by Abby George and New Muse
TOAST SUMMER PARTY
Photographs by Tallulah Self and design by Taylor Jones
YOUNG NORFOLK WRITING COMPETITION
‘Kaur’ by Mimi Ronson
Illustration by Tricia Mercer-David
‘Lunatic’ by Florence Bullion
Illustration by Maya Chessman
‘The Old Man’ by Callie Arlow
Illustration by Clare Gregory
‘The Man in Stall E13’ by Christabelle Kirkham
Illustration by Lauren Harris
‘Will Our Love Turn To Dust’ by Amy Griffiths
Illustration by August Abrahamsson
‘Poetry, I Think’ by Oliver Campbell
Installation by Jo Dunlop
FILM EAST TAKEOVER
Film East, the Norwich branch of the Young Film Programmer’s network, provides a platform for young audiences to experience and interact with film. Run by a group of young people, Film East aims to educate and inspire the next generation of film enthusiasts by offering unique opportunities to connect through thought-provoking cinema. Find us Instagram
FILM EAST CHATS
The Film East crew has recorded an exclusive episode from their podcast FILM EAST CHATS for festival-goers that explores the unconventional rock star film, looking at Dexter Fletcher’s 2019 film Rocketman and Todd Haynes’s cult classic Velvet Goldmine and the personas of LGBTQ icons Elton John and David Bowie.
GLOBAL STRANGERS FILM PROGRAMME
To pair with our City of Strangers project, Film East has curated a collection of films that centre around the theme of immigration and migration. The digital programme includes 16 films split up into four different strands, focusing on different aspects of the modern migrant experience. All the films are available to watch online, allowing you to extend the themes of this year’s festival beyond our physical dates.
ACT NOW! Presents Open Road
Open Road is a confident and thoughtful collection of short films by local young creatives. Made during lockdown, they are a response to world events and to Walt Whitman’s epic poem ‘Song of the Open Road’.
The Act Now! company has been instigated by Norfolk and Norwich Festival ‘Creative Individual’ Emma Bernard, in partnership with The Corn Hall, and with project funding from Arts Council England. Act Now! aims to activate young people to engage with and feed into our artistic programme, by exploring their own creative potential.
ReConnect ReDiscover ReEngage
An exhibition curated by the YNA Collective and inspired by the experience returning to friends, family, nature, your community and the city as lockdown eases.
The Collective have selected works by artists aged 11 to 25 from an open call and artist commission call out. Their work embeds and explores the definitions of what ReConnect, ReDiscover and ReEngage mean to them.
QUEER NORFOLK STORIES
The Queer Norfolk Stories audio trail celebrates the wonderful extraordinary ordinary lives of local LGBT+ people! You can listen to the audio trail throughout Norwich city centre. The trail is available as part of our City of Strangers audio trail, using the ECHOES application and geolocated sound to provide an immersive journey around Norwich.
The project is part of the 2021 Young Norfolk Arts Festival and Norwich Pride Inspired, and is funded by Festival Bridge as part of the #MovingItOn programme.
FULL PROGRAMME
YNAF 2021 LAUNCH
Thur 8 Juy 6-7pm
Join us live from Norwich Arts Centre as we launch this year’s Festival! With music, poetry, dance and introductions from our YNA Collective.
I AM... Workshop with JMCAnderson
Fri 9 July 6-8pm
The ‘I Am…’ workshop, will celebrate, embrace and highlight diversity and culture in Norfolk. Participants are invited to work with artist JMCAnderson to create their own human billboards by finishing off the ‘I Am…’ sentence. In the workshop, you will use acrylic paint and printing materials, whilst exploring themes of identity, through the use of language and art as politics, both individually and socially.
Virtual Lost River Stage
Sat 10 July 12 – 5pm
Enjoy the Lost River Stage from the comfort of your own home with our online showcase of music, dance and performance by the freshest young talent from across Norfolk.
Young Norfolk Writing Competition Showcase
Sun 11 July 6-7pm
We’ll be announcing the winners of the Young Norfolk Writing Competition 2021 in this very special showcase curated by the National Centre for Writing’s Lit From the Inside group.
Please note this is an invite only event but we will be filming the showcase to share online.
City of Strangers Audio Trail
Launching 8 July
Norwich is a city of strangers. The YNA Collective want to unveil a city that is quite literally built on diversity and community by creating a unique audio tour of the city. The tour will use the ECHOES phone app, using geolocated sound to provide an immersive journey around Norwich.
The audio tour will include submissions from the Queer Norfolk Stories project and Sound Systems.
YNA Collective Takeover on The Social
Thur 8 July 6-10pm
YNA Collective members have been working with producer Roxanne Matthews and the BBC Voices team to bring you 4 hours of sonic wonder. Join them as they take over a whole show on air on BBC Radio Norfolk’s show for younger listeners, The Social.
New Muse Textile Workshop
Sat 10 July 10am- 1pm
Working with textile artists New Muse – we will be working on individual pieces to become part of a collaborative installation. Collaging fabrics and using paint to create a piece with the theme around now and this transitional moment.The final piece will then be exhibited as part of the ReConnect ReDiscover ReEngage exhibition running throughout the Festival.
Sound Systems
Sat 10 July 6-8pm
Join children from Freethorpe, Cantley and Horning Primary schools as they take over the airwaves as part of Upload on BBC Radio Norfolk. They’ve been exploring the places they feel most themselves, making theme tunes for their schools and interviewing local people in the way only children can. Tune in & expect the unexpected….
Film East Takeover
Mon 12 July
Film East will be sharing their film expertise on our social media throughout the day, as well as chatting about the unconventional rock star biopic in an exclusive podcast recorded for our festival! To pair with our City of Strangers project, they have also curated a digital collection of films that centres around the theme of immigration.
ReConnect ReDiscover ReEngage
Launches 8 July
An exhibition curated by the YNA Collective, and inspired by the experience returning to friends, family, nature, your community and the city as lockdown eases.
Drawn Across Borders: Live Q&A with artist George Butler
Fri 9 July 1-2pm
George Butler will be joining us live via Zoom to talk about his work and new book Drawn Across Borders: True Stories of Migration – a collection of vivid and powerful stories drawn on the front lines of migration.
Lost River Stage
Sat 10 July 12 – 5.30pm
We can’t wait to bring live performance back to YNAF21! Join us at the bandstand in Chapelfield Gardens for an afternoon showcase of music, dance and performance by the freshest young talent from across Norfolk.
TOAST Summer Party
Sun 11 July 10am-5.30pm
TOAST is back! Join us for a poetry summer party as part of this year’s Young Norfolk Arts Festival. An extravaganza of poems, picnic blankets and party food at Norwich Arts Centre.
ACT NOW! Presents Open Road
Mon 12 July
Open Road is a confident and thoughtful collection of short films by local young creatives. Made during lockdown, they are a response to world events and to Walt Whitman’s epic poem ‘Song of the Open Road’. .
Norfolk Poetry Slam
Fri 16 July TBC
We’ll be live streaming from Norwich Arts Centre where budding young poets from 4 Norfolk schools will compete to be crowned the best!
Michael Morpurgo - BOY GIANT Live Event
Fri 16 July 9.30-10.30am
We are delighted to be partnering with VNET and Norfolk Schools of Sanctuary to bring author Michael Morpurgo live to schools via Zoom!
Figurine It Out Exhibition
Launching 8 July
The Norwich 2040 Local Cultural Education Partnership has been asking children and young people from across Norfolk to create small figurines that capture how they are feeling as we come back together as a community. We’ll be bringing these figurines together to exhibit across Norwich and as part of an online exhibition this summer…
This year’s programme has been supported by:
SUPPORT US
Young Norfolk Arts Trust is a charity which uses all its income to provide life changing opportunities for young people across Norfolk. Every project and activity is offered to children and young people for free, including our yearly festival programme. Support us by donating what you can…