Art Workshops Get the Party Started for 25th Henley Youth Festival Celebrations
School children in Henley got the party started for the 25th birthday celebrations for the Henley Youth Festival this year by enjoying some art workshops with a celebration theme this week.
Children got the chance to make lanterns and decorated them with stars, hearts, the number 25 and musical notes with Emily Cooling, a birthday cupcake photo holder with Michaela Clarke from Create ‘n Make, screen printed t-shirts and bags with Camilla Shelley at the River & Rowing Museum and new artists for this year saw Lilly Rossiter make party animal puppets and Art Pod helped the children design their own celebration bunting. The art from these workshops will be displayed around the town next week in shop windows for everyone to see.
Doctor Brian Squabbles and his Red Van full of ‘objects from a previous life’ returned again this year for the children to create moments from imaginary worlds and Clinton from Animation Station was back too this year to help the children make celebration animated films.
Joanna Dickson, Co-Chair of the HYF said, “We are so delighted to have started off the 25th HYF with such a fantastic range of art workshops in school, all provided free of charge to the schools. We have welcomed some new artists this year which have been a great success and we are really looking forward to seeing some of the art around the town in shop windows. A big thank you to The Arts Society Henley (TASH) and SODC for funding the workshops and for all the volunteers who have helped this week from TASH.”
Next week school children will be able to enjoy more workshops in schools which include the human body Explorer Dome, comedy poetry workshops, Travelling by Tuba, skipping, street dance with Urban Strides, drama with Little Blue Monster Productions, singing with Lucy Hewes from Henley Rock Choir, Freedom of Movement freestyle gymnastics and squash.
Tomorrow (Saturday) HYF Run will take place at Swiss Farm and Gig Night for local bands and soloists kicks of the music part of the festival at Lovibonds starting at 6pm for school years 9-13. Junior proms for younger KS1 children will take place at Shiplake College on Sunday.
At the Kenton, the performances shows start on Tuesday with HYF Prom followed by, HYF Entertain on Wednesday, HYF Sing on Thursday and HYF Dance on Friday. On Saturday 18 March there will fitting finale to the festival with a special celebration Gala which will see both this year’s stars perform alongside previous past performers.
Above photos courtesy of Helen Maynard and Cheryl George
