An exciting new cultural programme for young people, co-curated by 14 to 21-year-olds with the help of Deco Publique the experts behind the National Festival of Making and Vintage By The Sea, will tour the Lakes and Dales starting in Spring 2020.
The FOLD is a programme of creative activities and workshops from music and making to design and debating. It will spend three weeks in three locations – Settle, Bentham and Kendal – the pop-up, multi-venue approach helping to mitigate the lack of public transport which can be a barrier for young people attending events in the area.
Commissioned by Great Place: Lakes and Dales (GPLD), which is dedicated to using arts, culture and heritage to encourage more under 35s to settle in the area, it is being organised by Deco Publique, which works closely with GPLD champion and well-known British designer Wayne Hemingway.
The FOLD is currently on the hunt for 14 to 21-year-olds to get involved at a planning stage and is appealing for interested young people to get in touch.
Said Deco Publique’s Lauren Zawadzki: “We want to hear from young people interested in having a say in shaping and curating The FOLD. We are doing assemblies in schools and putting out feelers in local areas. We would ideally like six to 12 under 21s to join a steering group in each location to work with a co-design specialist to devise the cultural programme which will take place from spring 2020.”
The FOLD staged a social media-led open call for potential artists and creative practitioners interested in running workshops and activities and will draw on this expertise in putting the programme together.
Workshops, open mics, theatre and film are expected to appeal to the steering groups, as well as activities designed to boost confidence, such as debating.
Lauren added: “Encouraging debate will empower young people to address local issues such as affordable housing and lack of accessible transport. We hope to welcome these kinds of educational elements into The FOLD as well as creative activities and, of course, lots of fun.”
Steering group meetings are scheduled to begin in January.
GPLD programme manager Lindsey Hebden said: “The FOLD is an exciting new series of pop ups which young people can shape for themselves, bringing relevant arts, culture and heritage events which resonate with their peer groups into key towns in the Lakes and Dales.”
The FOLD can be contacted via the website https://www.inthefold.co.uk/ or through social media – see the website for links.
