A group of talented young actors in Rotherham will launch the borough’s first youth drama festival on Friday 25th October, with a debut performance called Trash Planet at Rotherham Civic Theatre.
Co-created and performed by young people aged 11-18 from local drama group, Drama Kids, Trash Planet is an unforgettable show that tackles the Earth’s climate change crisis. The hour-long performance starts at 6.30pm, with free tickets available from the Theatre’s box office – https://rotherhamtheatres.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows/1173657010
Principal of Drama Kids Rotherham, Lauren Steel, explained: “We came up with the idea for Trash Planet with the children and we’ve been meeting every week to develop the performance and rehearse together. I’m proud of what we’ve created and I can’t wait to see the group perform for the first time at Rotherham Civic Theatre.
“We’re going to take our guests to an emergency summit of world leaders, called together to save the planet. Each of us will reveal what we are doing to help, but will everyone come together in time to solve the crisis? Join us to find out!”
This is the first of four performances from ‘The World Beneath Our Feet’, a brand-new youth drama festival taking place across different venues in Rotherham in October and November. Created in collaboration between Children’s Capital of Culture and four youth drama groups in Rotherham: Drama Kids, Brampton Youth Theatre, Green Man in Dalton and Breakout Arts, each group will present a new work linked to themes of nature and the environment.
The remaining three performances devised for The World Beneath Our Feet are:
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- Stories from the Dust by Brampton Youth Theatre, 7th and 8th November – Cortonwood Comeback Centre (34 Chapel Ave, Brampton, Barnsley S73 0XQ)
- The Rewilding of Wisteria Dumont by Green Man drama group, 29th November at Silverwood Miners Welfare Resource Centre (Doncaster Rd, Dalton, Rotherham S65 3ET)
- A is for Apple by Breakout Arts, 7.00pm, 15th November at Rotherham College Studio Theatre (Eastwood Lane, Rotherham S65 1EG)
Sarah Christie, programme manager at Children’s Capital of Culture, added: “The World Beneath Our Feet is a key theme for Rotherham Children’s Capital of Culture’s festival year in 2025, exploring young people’s feelings towards nature and the environment.
“These youth drama groups have responded to their local landscapes by producing four very different pieces of work that each pay homage to Rotherham’s green heritage. They’ve done an incredible job of bringing them to life with artistc and technical support from Children’s Capital of Culture, to give more young people ways of getting involved with local drama groups. We can’t wait for you to see them.”
In 2025, Rotherham will become the world’s first Children’s Capital of Culture. To find out more about The World Beneath Our Feet, and more exciting events, visit www.childrenscapitalofculture.