Rag & Bone Arts is expanding its work with young people in Chippenham, with opportunities including National Youth Theatre Connections 2027, performances at Bristol Old Vic, new Arts Award qualifications and a six-month creative base at Emery Gate.
The organisation has been selected to take part in National Youth Theatre Connections 2027, one of the UK’s leading programmes for young theatre-makers.
Its young company will perform The Long Table by Chris O’Connell, whose work includes writing for Frantic Assembly. Young performers will work with a professional creative team, developing their theatre skills and gaining experience of creating a professional-standard production.
Following a local performance, the company will take the production to Bristol Old Vic, giving Chippenham’s young performers the chance to appear on one of the region’s best-known stages.
New creative home at Emery Gate
Rag & Bone Arts is also moving into a new space at Emery Gate for six months after its current building was leased to a new venture. With support from Acorn, the organisation has secured the temporary base as part of its National Lottery and DCMS-funded Home from Home project.
The space will give young people somewhere to spend time with friends, explore their creativity, develop skills and help decide which activities they would like to see taking place. Young people will also be involved in creating a Teen Takeover planned for February 2027, helping to develop ideas and plan and deliver events.
New charity and Arts Awards
Rag & Bone Arts has also established a new charity dedicated to youth arts engagement and training for young people aged 10–25. Supported by four local trustees, the charity aims to increase access to creative activities, artistic training and routes into further education, employment and the creative industries.
Rag & Bone Arts will also begin offering Arts Award Bronze, Silver and Gold, giving young people the chance to gain nationally recognised qualifications while developing their creative skills.
Laura Graham-May, Artistic Director of Rag & Bone Arts, said, “This is an exciting moment for Rag & Bone Arts, but more importantly, it’s an exciting moment for the young people we work with. We have some fantastic opportunities coming up, and we want young people to help us shape them.
“We are incredibly excited to be part of National Youth Theatre Connections 2027. This is about working collaboratively, taking creative risks and experiencing what it feels like to be part of the professional theatre world. Performing at Bristol Old Vic is a fantastic opportunity and one that we hope will inspire our young people to see just how far they can go in the world of theatre.”
Young people interested in The Long Table, Teen Takeover, Home from Home, Arts Award or other Rag & Bone Arts activities can find out more at www.ragandbonearts.com.
