VIVACITY Festival 2022

Friday 1st April 2022 – Warwick Arts Centre

FIRST UP FRIDAY sees VIVACITY launch with a Midlands showcase of Elan Butler and Sober Riot Theatres’ FISHCAT. Shortlisted by the Royal Court as part of their open submissions window, FISHCAT is a contemporary coming of age tale set in the Midlands which explores the challenges teenagers face in their fight to be heard and recognised by those in charge. It’s a must see, storming creation by Midlands Artists, telling untold Midlands stories, for a Midlands audience. With an original score and a strong female narrative, FISHCAT is one to watch!

Schedule

FISH CAT
Helen Martin Studio | 7.30-9pm
Suitable for ages 12+

Fishcat is a contemporary coming of age tale set in the Midlands which explores the challenges teenagers face in their fight to be heard and recognised by those in charge. With an original score and a strong female narrative, Fishcat is one to watch.

Saturday 2nd April 2022 – Warwick Arts Centre

SCRATCH UP SATURDAY offers an open plan day of workshops, quick fire artist appearances, immersive screenings and top notch performances. Our Scratch Sessions begin in the Helen Martin Studio, running from 1pm onwards. In a casual, cabaret environment you can expect to experience DJ sets, live music, plus comedy headlined by Vish Ratnajothy, a screening of Calico Theatres’ CURFEW and top notch spoken word and storytelling performances from Naoise Gale and Butshilo Nleya, with Q&A’s. There’s so much to see, so pitch up to Warwick Arts Centre and stay for the day.

Schedule

Mainstay Creatives Workshop
Creative Learning Space | 2-5pm
Suitable for ages 16-25

Vivacity, creativity, life force. Where does creative energy come from, and what does it mean to us? In this interactive workshop, we’ll work together to explore these questions – as well as expand our ideas of who we think creative people are and what it is they do. We’ll develop our ideas using physical theatre and other techniques, and by the end of the session we’ll collaboratively devise a performance piece to be shared with the festival.

ITZATNA
Creative Learning Space | 7-8.30pm
Suitable for ages 16+

Join ITZATNA Arts Collective to watch the film of their audience-acclaimed live performance Hanal Pixan: Food For All Souls’: an immersive dining experience inspired by Mexican Day of the Dead which premiered at The Edge Birmingham in November 2021.

Scratch I
Helen Martin Studio | 1-6pm
Suitable for ages 16+

In a casual, cabaret environment you can expect to experience DJ sets, live music, plus comedy featuring Josiah Productions, Ben Needles, Somecallmewale, Jiayin Guo, The Warwick Comedy Society and our headline comedy act, Vish Ratnajothy!

Scratch II
Helen Martin Studio | 7.45-10pm
Suitable for ages 16+

BUTSHILO – EKHAYA, LOVE THEM BOTH? is an artistic-anarchist’s plea for two cities, two cultures and languages, two loves that he holds dear yet he struggles to reconcile it all. He is asked to give a concluding argument in the court of human opinion fighting for his human rights. The story is told using African theatre, a confluence of poetry, drama, song-speak and traditional instrumentation.

NAOISE GALE – Autistic poet Naoise Gale performs original material from her first two books, focusing on mental illness, addiction, grief, and identity. Written in a raw confessional style with elements of spoken word, experimental and visual genres, her work unpacks taboo subjects with unapologetic boldness, exposing a story of chaos, strangeness, and unconditional love.

Sunday 3rd April 2022 – Warwick Arts Centre

SOAK IT UP SUNDAY offers a programme of Family Freebies running from 10-4. Join Tickety-Boo Theatre at 10 and enjoy a spellbinding sensory show. When that adventure comes to an end, drop into the Creative Learning Space between 11-1 for cosmic crafting. Spaceships, alien head gear and more! At 12 you can bounce back to the Helen Martin Studio in time for Family Dance with Vivi Bayliss, but our workshop space stays open until close of play at 4, with a rolling programme of short films curated by Flatpack Festival. If the weather is on our side we’ll be chalking up the pavements on the Warwick Arts Centre doorstep with wacky, wonderful (washable), illustrations throughout the day.

When the family programme shuts up shop, you can enjoy spoken word and live music in the Creative Learning Space with Rupinder Kaur and Aayushi Music then dash across to the HMS for a curtain raiser of Last Wednesday by Calico Theatre, followed by a story of freedom, romance and loss in HisPanic Breakdowns’ The Copla Musical!

Schedule

Tickety Boo presents WOODLAND WANDERERS
Helen Martin Studio | 10-10.40am
Aimed at ages 3-6

Tickety-Boo Theatre cordially invites you to the enchanted forest in our debut seriously spectacular experience of Woodland Wanderers! This all rhyming, spellbinding sensory show-stopper extravaganza will make you the hero of your own story. Do you know a happy little person who would like to make friends with a warm-hearted dragon? Cast a magic spell? Or save a forest kingdom? Then Tickety-Boo needs you!

The Alive Project
Helen Martin Studio | 12-12.30pm
Suitable for all ages

Working with a professional Dance Facilitator, this is your chance to participate in a dance performance in a way that is entirely comfortable for you. Watch the routine, and then learn some choreography or just boogie in your own style – let’s all feel alive together!

Flatpack Festival presents… Nature’s Tales
Creative Learning Space | 2-4pm
Suitable for all ages

You’ll find all kinds of creatures, great and small setting off on funny little adventures in this programme of colourful short animated films. From across the pond, Grammy nominated children’s musical duo The Pop-Ups, have two brilliant sing-along videos featuring an exuberant fire-fighting Rhino and a troupe of dancing robots with infectious moves.

Nikita Asnani and Company presents… To Blossom or to Buttercup?
Creative Learning Space | 6-6.30pm
Suitable for ages 16+

Nikita never believed in self-love as a concept. She used to have insomnia and PCOS, while also constantly feeling insecure and ‘not good enough’ as a woman. Over the years, she worked on herself to love and forgive herself, and to truly appreciate herself for the magic and the power she holds. This performance is a celebration of her journey in self-love and everything that makes her feel visible, unentangled, empowered, and feminine.

Dreams of Flying
Creative Learning Space | 6.30pm – 7pm
Suitable for all ages

Weaving together their poetry, spoken word and music, Rupinder Kaur and Aayushi draw from the vivid imagery of their dreams, memories and desires to create a shared experience of the divine feminine. Evoking tenderness, strength and curiosity, this cross-disciplinary collaboration explores the journey from girlhood to womanhood and everything in between.

This solo musical shares the passion and subversion of Spanish Copla with an international audience exploring what it takes to come to terms with who you are born to be. The Copla Musical re-enacts a series of subversive, queer, and political 20th century songs that haven’t since seen light out of Spanish speaking borders.