Ever thought about taking a production to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and then worked out the logistics and the cost? Wow – the cost! Yet schools from all over the world do it every year, and why not if they can afford it? But there is a much cheaper alternative that few of us have heard of – even I, who live locally, only became aware of it a couple of years ago. The International Youth Arts Festival (IYAF) celebrated its tenth anniversary this July. It runs for 11 days in Kingston-upon-Thames, less than half an hour from London's Waterloo station.
The IYAF is unique. With over 200 events programmed it is the largest festival in the UK that is both for young people and predominantly run by young people. Indeed, it is a festival with young people at its very heart. All the arts are catered for and it showcases some of the most exciting new work from the UK and around the world, attracting professional companies, schools, colleges and youth theatres from every continent. Yet this year, only four British schools were involved – one was mine.
Application
So impressed was I with my last two visits to the festival, that I realised what a fantastic experience this was, not just for me as an audience member, but for all involved. Young artists get to meet others from diverse backgrounds, exchange ideas, make new friends, network, attend workshops and see some great work. Students can also volunteer and gain experience at the bar, ushering and in technical work. Everyone who takes part gets free entry into any event that has spare tickets, allowing people to bond and discuss each other's work – where do you see that in Edinburgh?
Being a convert, I was anxious to see how it worked and it couldn't have been smoother. Applications for entry open in November from anyone under 26-years-old or anyone working with that age group. The application fee was £150 – reduced to £100 for early applications. Successful applicants are allocated a suitable venue, based on the information supplied in easy-to-follow questionnaires. Importantly, there are no venue hire fees, your entry fee covers it all! Applications close at the end of January.
Throughout the process I received four emails covering production needs, marketing, posters and flyers, child protection issues, PRS, deadlines and the like. It was as straightforward and as professional as could be.
The experience
Having produced and run-in my production at school (I was lucky enough to be able to commission playwright Joyce Lee to workshop and write an all-female piece), we went to our allocated theatre, a studio at Kingston College. Everyone was most accommodating and helpful. We had quite a ‘techy’ show and had requested as much time as possible for our rehearsal. In retrospect, we were lucky to be given as much time as we were, for I had broken the golden rule of festivals – keep it simple! A show that depended on lasers, smoke and total blackout would have problems in most festival venues, but we were also prepared to compromise. I used the rest of the festival to get to know the venues so I now know which will be the best for future entries (these include several studio spaces of differing sizes, bars, a library, a boat, a stage in the market square and the impressive main stage of the Rose Theatre). I also learned to be generous about the length of the piece which I could only guess at the time of application.
The performance itself was all I had hoped for. The students surpassed themselves, adored the experience, and loved Kingston with its history, shops and restaurants – one of which we celebrated in afterwards. I spent the rest of the week watching as many shows as I could thanks to my free pass, which also offered me a daily free lunch at the festival hub. If there is one criticism it is that it was impossible for me to see everything, but a little more imaginative programming would help the avid festival-goer get from one place to the other without missing too much.
When you have the IYAF, a festival dedicated to young people, who needs Edinburgh? You could do both but, for any school that craves the festival experience, the IYAF is just as good – and an awful lot cheaper!