THE AGENCY AT KILN THEATRE ANNOUNCE HOPE IN ACTION – A VIRTUAL EVENT SHARING PROJECTS CREATED BY YOUNG PEOPLE OF BRENT * Fairy Powered Productions

THE AGENCY AT KILN THEATRE ANNOUNCE HOPE IN ACTION – A VIRTUAL EVENT SHARING PROJECTS CREATED BY YOUNG PEOPLE OF BRENT

Kiln Theatre today announce Hope in Action, a series of virtual events marking the end of The Agency scheme and launching the four new projects imagined and realised by young people of Brent. The Agency: Triple Bill will launch Sancia’s Podcast, Consent First, and Film4Thought on 17 March, with Living Histories launched on 19 March. The series concludes on 20 March with The Agency: Recovering Hope, a workshop for young people living, working and studying in Brent, hosted by Amber Anderson, Marco Campbell, Dan Glass and Fizza Syed. All events are free and will be held online, to sign up please visit kilntheatre.com/the-agency.

The Agency is a Brent 2020 London Borough of Culture scheme to support young Brent based entrepreneurs between 15–25 years old to develop ideas for social change in their area. Chosen by an expert panel, the four successful projects were awarded £2000 each for development. London Borough of Culture is a Mayor of London initiative designed to put culture at the heart of local communities.

Justine Simons OBE, Deputy Mayor for Culture and the Creative Industries, said today, “Creativity is part of London’s DNA. Every young Londoner must be able to participate and create change in their communities. It’s great to see Brent’s London Borough of Culture legacy in action: local young people creating their own zines, podcasts, and more, with the help of the award-winning Kiln Theatre.”

Artistic Director of Kiln Theatre, Indhu Rubasingham, also commented, “Being able to continue the agency project, whilst the whole country shut down has been a testament to the resilience, passion and determination of the young people of Brent. Their projects have influenced us as an organisation and given us much-needed optimism in these dark times. It has demonstrated to us how positive the future could look like, if more young people were given the resources and tools to incite change and transformation of our society.”

Kiln Theatre’s Head of Creative Engagement, Jenny Batt added, “The Agents have shown an inspirational level of commitment to community and creativity. Through all the challenges of this last year they consistently progressed their social change projects, adapting to many changes and obstacles along the way. They have realised their amazing visions; we are so proud to share their achievements and we cannot wait to see what their next successes are on their journey.”

Gemma Rowan who has been leading the Agency programme also said, “The last year has been full of unprecedented challenges for everyone. The young entrepreneurs we work with reflect the exceptional creativity and energy that exists in Brent, 2020’s London Borough of Culture. They are making change and creating hope at a time when it is most needed.”

THE AGENCY: TRIPLE BILL

Wednesday 17 March, 6pm

Hosted by Teasha Louis, The Agency alumni and founder of What We Want

SANCIA’S PODCAST

Celebrate the launch of Sancia’s Podcast, a space which aims to change and challenge the negative perceptions around Care Experienced People and the care system itself.

An evening of celebration, listening, chats and exchange: audiences will gain a sneak peak of the first three episodes, followed by an exclusive Q&A with the podcast host.

@Sanciaspodcast

CONSENT FIRST

Consent First works towards expanding the education of young people around sex, consent and relationships. Selected work will be published in a creative, new magazine that will be given out across Brent.

The audience will get a first look at some of the content of Consent First’s new zine about healthy relationships and pleasure, which has been created alongside other aspiring young creatives in Brent.

@consentfirst_

FILM4THOUGHT

Join Lina, Nathan, Berlyn and Yusra to hear about their new project Film4Thought, in which young people in Wembley take the lead in planning and shooting their own short films around pertinent topics: family issues, gangs, body image and sexual assault.

The evening will end with the world première of their first short film, and a chance to find out more about their process.

@Film4Thought._

THE AGENCY: IMMAPANCY by LIVING HISTORIES

Friday 19 March, 7pm

Hosted by Michael Appouh

Join Michael and hear about Living Histories, his oral histories project that aims to trace the identity and legacy of Harlesden in the wake of city-wide redevelopment.

A live launch of recordings, conversations, reflections and memories of Harlesden, including local guest artists and residents of Harlesden sharing their stories in response to our Living Histories.

www.livinghistories.co.uk

@livinghistories

THE AGENCY: RECOVERING HOPE

Saturday 20 March, 2pm

Workshop with Dan Glass, Marco Campbell, Fizza Syed and Amber Anderson

Our final wrap up party will start with Recovering Hope, a workshop for young people living, working and studying in Brent. Hosted by with live illustrator Amber Anderson, Marco Campbell, Dan Glass and Fizza Syed.

As we emerge from the pandemic what are your hopes for the future? We will talk about the impact of the pandemic on young people in Brent and what we want to happen now. This is a conversation and training in strategies of resistance, ideas for creative disruption, imaginative intervention and thinking-outside-the-box tools for positive social change.

Amber Anderson is an illustrator whose work includes live scribing, the creation of images to capture live conversations.

www.amberanderson.co.uk

@amberdrawslive

Marco Campbell is a local creative who works with young people in Brent to develop their ideas and realise their potential. He is a youth worker, facilitator and artist with The Agency.

Dan Glass is an ‘Aids Coalition to Unleash Power’ (ACT UP), healthcare, and human rights activist, performer, presenter and writer. Glass has been recognised as Attitude Magazine’s Campaigning Role Models for LGBTQI Youth, a Guardian UK Youth Climate Leader, 2017 Activist of the Year with the Sexual Freedom Awards, and was announced a BBC Greater Londoner in 2019 for founding Queer Tours of London – A Mince Through Time. Glass is an artist with the global In Place of War artist network and an educator from the Training for Transformation movement. Glass recently presented the short films Never Again – Fighting the Polish Far-Right, and Censoring Palestine: The Weaponisation Of Anti-Semitism, as well as Coronavirus Cabaret: the online show combating social isolation. His book United Queerdom: From the Legends of the Gay Liberation Front to the Queers of Tomorrow was recognised as Observer book of the week June 2020.

www.theglassishalffull.co.uk

@danglassisfull

Fizza Syed is a young entrepreneur from Brent, she is an Agent and the founder of Consent First a project that expands education around consent and healthy relationships.