York-based creative projects company Bolshee launch new initiative for young people

“The Dance Floor Project seemed to really strike a chord with a lot of women in York and the themes we explored within it in terms of social change, particularly violence against women,” says Clark. “The amazing pop-up dance parties we organised, subverting the idea of women not going out at night, were really popular.”

This month the team launched a brand-new project, Bolshee Young Creatives, aimed specifically at young people. “We have been doing work with adults mostly since we began but we also really wanted to do an exciting project with young people,” explains Clark. “The whole time we have been operating we haven’t quite found something suitable; we wanted to do something different to anything else that is being offered in the area. I think one of the things that makes Bolshee quite strong is that we all come from different disciplines and we wanted to do something that would combine and use all our skills.” Between them Clark, Bailey and Whynes have many years’ experience in youth and adult theatre, dance, design and community education as directors, performers and producers.

“We began a conversation with our friends at Young Thugs Studio – they own the top half of the South Bank Social Club in York where they have created a state-of-the-art recording studio which is used by well-known bands,” says Clark. “They also have a community interest company which aims to bring more people into the music industry. We thought we could start something that was really inclusive, that would encourage young writers, sound engineers and DJs as well as performers. The idea is to ask the young people what they would like to do and be led by them.”

The new initiative will see participants working together with industry professionals to plan and deliver dynamic multidisciplinary performances and events. Initially the sessions will be open to anyone aged 8-14, split into two groups of 8-10 year olds and 11-14 year olds, with the hope of extending the offer to other age groups in the future. “We want to celebrate all forms of creativity,” says Clark. “From drama to design, sound and music to movement and event management. We have been calling for expressions of interest from young musicians, dancers, drawers, DJs, technicians, writers, talkers and explorers. And we are delighted to be collaborating with Young Thugs who will bring a whole other level of industry knowledge and experience to the project. We can tap into their expertise and skill share across our communities. We are really excited about it. The other exciting thing about it is that we are able to use the downstairs part of the Social Club where there is a stage so it is a great space for performance, and we are also helping to preserve this wonderful community asset.”

The project promises to be another successful collaboration. “We are incredibly excited about working with the inspirational and talented Bolshee women,” says Young Thugs director, Rich Corrigan. “There is a lot of synergy between our organisations, especially around our aspirations for creating inclusive and accessible programmes and events that challenge the status quo and help celebrate the diverse arts community in York.”

The response to Bolshee Young Creatives has been very positive so far. “We did a call-out around six weeks ago to see if there was an appetite for it and we were oversubscribed almost immediately,” says Clark. “We want to bring young people into the industry – across the board, writers, sound engineers and DJs, not just performers. We are hoping that the first event or performance that the young people create will make a lot of noise – it is all about empowering them.”

Bolshee Young Creatives sessions begin in January 2024. They will run regularly on Wednesday evenings. No experience necessary. For more information and to book a place visit bolshee.com/young-creatives