Starboard Festival 2nd to 17th July 2016

There has recently been an English Baccalaureate (EBacc) debate in Parliament with campaigners urging the Secretary of State for Education to allow former education secretary’s Progress-Eight and Attainment-Nine measures to settle prior to pushing ahead with a top-down accountability mechanism that will place the arts and technical subjects at risk in schools.

In relation to this and on a lighter note, Brighton Dome is to co-curator Brighton’s first Starboard Festival of theatre performed at Brighton Open Air Theatre (BOAT)

The brand new Starboard Festival of outdoor performance for Children & Young People up to the age of twenty one started on the 2^nd July 2016. In line with the Shakespearian ethos of ‘All the world’s a stage’ this local Brighton festival has one stage where over twenty shows suitable for toddlers to teens will be performed over sixteen days by colleges, drama groups, local schools and professional theatre makers and will include plays by torch light, Shakespeare, superheroes and poetry.

Starboard partnered with Brighton Dome, Komedia, The Old Market, South East Dance and Theatre Royal to deliver this festival programme which is about making new theatre as well as hosting great performances for young people and runs from 2nd to 17th July 2016.

The festival features some of the greatest national theatre made for children and young people whilst working with the city’s major cultural institutions.

Presented by Brighton Dome, the closing event will be the play ‘The Illuminating Times of the Darkling Society’ performed on the Brighton Open Air Theatre (BOAT) stage by Kilter Theatre on Saturday 16th July a play at 8.45pm (Picnic from 7.30pm) , Dyke Road Park, Dyke Road, Brighton, BN3 6EH .

Join a band of musicians and outsiders in the beautiful landscape of Brighton Open Air Theatre for an expedition like no other as the sun sets over Brighton!

Naomi Alexander is a local theatre maker who freelances for the Battersea Arts Centre and Old Vic and who recently set up Brighton People’s Theatre and said, “Not only is the story behind BOAT so inspiring, the space itself is magical, a theatre- maker’s dream.”

The full programme of Starboard Festival’s can be found online: www.starboardfestival.com