Young SixSix company launch library of Black creativity and Son of Helios film premiere
25 Oct 2021On Tue 2 Nov Young SixSix theatre company will be launching not one but two projects they have been creating over the last 18months.
Young Six Six is an ensemble of young theatre makers from across Bristol that meet regularly at Bristol Old Vic, Formed in 2019 and led by Julia Head and Xahnaa Adlam, they make theatre through long-term, intensive collaboration giving every young person the space, time and resources to realise their creative potential.
On 2 Nov, The long-awaited Young SixSix Library will be officially opened in the theatre foyer by poet Vanessa Kisuule, while Son of Helios - a one-shot, one-take short film written by Young SixSix - will premiere to an invited audience in the Weston Studio.
The Young Six Six Library is a free-to-use library for the people of Bristol, and a place to find some of the best poetry, plays and books by Black writers from Britain and around the world. Focusing on creative inspiration, the varied catalogue is a direct response by Young SixSix to the under-representation of Black creatives in the UKs curriculum, theatres, publishing houses and beyond.
Director of Engagement Lucy Hunt said: "It has been really important to be able to keep working with some of our groups over the various lockdowns. Young SixSix have responded creatively to the happenings in the world around them and have made us think differently about what our work is and should be. These two ambitious projects are a result of their creativity and vision."
About Young SixSix
Young SixSix is a group which allows young people to take their first steps into theatre. Participants are recruited through schools and youth services across Bristol. This programme is for young people who may never have considered theatre or drama before but would benefit from the structure of weekly sessions and pastoral support provided by the creative team.
We need Young SixSix for young people who do not feel confident in theatre spaces. The group is smaller than regular Young Company Classes and aims to teach young people ensemble theatre making skills and vocabulary through project-driven processes. Young SixSix recognises the power of theatre which brings people together, increase confidence and enables us to become more understanding of others and the world around us.
The aim of the programme is to provide these young people with pathways into other groups, employment and training at Bristol Old Vic and further afield.
Young SixSix are supported by The Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation & The 29th May1961 Charity. Made possible with Heritage Fund.
Photography by Mano Akure
Bristol Old Vic is the longest continuously running theatre in the UK, and celebrated its 250th anniversary in 2016. The historic playhouse aims to inspire audiences with its own original productions, both at home and on tour, whilst nurturing the next generation of artists, whether that be through their 350-strong Young Company, their many outreach and education projects or their trailblazing artist development programme, Bristol Ferment.
They use their funding to support experiment and innovation, to allow access to their programme for people who would not otherwise encounter it, or be able to afford it, and to keep their extraordinary heritage alive and animated.
On 24 Sep 2018, Bristol Old Vic completed its 2-year multi-million pound redevelopment project, which transformed its front of house space into a warm and welcoming public building for all of Bristol to enjoy, created a new studio theatre and opened up its unique theatrical heritage to the public for the first time.