PR255

For Immediate Release

20 September 2006

Great Yarmouth’s SeaChange Trust is looking for volunteers to help stage a series of events in 2007 aimed at bringing together different communities and age groups to enjoy and learn about each other’s forms of entertainment.

Creative Change (Great Yarmouth) is a project which hopes to generate more social cohesion through getting together representatives of different cultures and generations to put together a programme of up to 16 events.

The aim is to help the community as a whole to enjoy a wide range of entertainment experiences which could include music, dancing and food.

The events will be staged at St George’s Theatre, Great Yarmouth, between January and June. Funding has been obtained for six events and Big Lottery Funding has been applied for to stage another 10.

SeaChange Trust is working with Norfolk Arts Partnership, Great Yarmouth Borough Council, and a committee of people from community organisations. It is the committee which it wants to extend to bring in a wider range of people with ideas on the kind of entertainment that will appeal to a wide audience.

“The arts are a great way of bringing people together from different cultural backgrounds and we are hoping that the Creative Change programme will play a part in bringing that about in Great Yarmouth,” explained Norfolk Arts Programme Manager, Kevin Gosling.

At present the committee has representatives from the International Association, Community Connections and the Portuguese community, the Chinese community, Middlegates Residents Association, and the Black and Minority Ethnic Group.

“The events will bring professional shows to the town,” explained Joe Mackintosh of SeaChange. “And by involving a diverse range of people from the local community on the programme committee, we will ensure that what we programme has appeal to all.”

“We are using Black History Month, which runs from September 30, as a taster of how audiences react to different forms of entertainment, and just who is attracted to the events.”

Black history month will see shows as diverse as African drumming, Capoeira dancing, a Portuguese Hip Hop Night, a Salsa Gala night, and a film from Hong Kong entitled Shaolin Soccer, all at St George’s Theatre.

For information about events in October please see the links below:
 Portuguese Hip Hop night (136kb) - Saturday 7th October - 7.30pm
 Shaolin Soccer (214kb) - Tuesday 10th October 2006 - 7.30pm
 Salsa night (223kb) - Saturday 21st October 2006 - 6pm

To learn more about the Creative Change project call SeaChange Administrator Bridget Heriz on 01493 846550.

Issued by:
Liz Dann
Press Officer
Great Yarmouth Borough Council
01493 846513