Troy Boyz Pembrokeshire Dance and Music Residency Will Help Young NEETS Make a Difference
A seven-day street dance residency and concerts with professional choreographers and professional artists and musicians will help up to 60 young people to make a difference in their lives.
Troy Boyz West will see 30 socially disadvantaged youngsters, not in education, employment, or training (NEETS) aged between 14 and 25-years-old gain a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be part of a professional street dance residency leading up to two public performances in St David’s in August.
The seven-day and six nights residency follows the success of the youth production Troy Boyz, a street dance and percussion event based on a version of Homer’s Iliad, put on by young people from the Swansea and Neath Port Talbot area last year.
The latest event is a partnership between Arts Care Gofal Celf, TAN Dance Ltd, Bluestone National Park Resort, The Torch Theatre, Celtic Camping, and CADW and has been funded by the Bluestone Foundation, Arts Council Wales, Pembrokeshire County Council, and Arts and Business – Culture Step.
The residency will take place at Celtic Camping in St David’s with a range of activities and experiences to help the young people develop social relationships, supported by professional choreographers and artists.
The climax of the residency will be two public performances at The Bishop’s Palace at St David’s on 22nd August. It will be a modern take of Troy, exploring literature through street dance.
“Young people will learn the pure art of street dance from professional tutors and peers whilst having the opportunity to participate in a creative production process,” said Laura Jane Jenkins, Arts Care Gofal Celf Dance Development Manager.
“They’ll not only benefit greatly from the arts project with other young people and professional artists for the week learning, shaping, devising, and rehearsing Troy Boyz West, but will also benefit greatly from the time away from their individual homes seeing and exploring their potential without their usual safety net.”
Bluestone National Park Resort is one of the partners involved and the independent Bluestone Foundation is providing grant funding.
The 30 young people will kick off their first evening courtesy of Bluestone at the Blue Lagoon water park near Narberth.
“We saw the Troy Boyz performance at an event in Swansea and were amazed at how the group of young people puts on such an amazing and professional performance,” said Pamela McNamara, Commercial Director at Bluestone and a Chair of the Bluestone Foundation.
"Through Bluestone and the Bluestone Foundation, we were keen to be involved with such a project in Pembrokeshire and we’re pleased to be working with Arts Care Gofal Gelf, TAN Dance Ltd, and the other partners and funders in such a great activity that will help these young people now and in their future lives.”
The Bluestone Foundation was established to help people to help themselves through environmental, economic, and social projects in Pembrokeshire through the provision of grants.
The Foundation is a charitable arm of Bluestone National Park Resort and underpins the business’s ethos as a sustainable, local business providing employment, economic and social opportunities to the people of West Wales.
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