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Emerging artists inspired by major new east London festival

Friday 25 July 2008

Talented young writers, artists and performers from all over the globe gathered at the pioneering Theatre Royal Stratford East for the first ever International Festival of Emerging Artists (IFEA), held from 7-20 July.

IFEA, a celebration of creativity aimed at facilitating international collaborations, was organised by the Theatre Royal in partnership with a range of local and international organisations, including the London Borough of Newham, the British Council, and the University of East London (UEL).

54 emerging artists from 18 countries, including Ghana, Malaysia, Turkey, Rwanda, Greece, South Africa, France and the UK, took part in workshops and creative exercises, as well as enjoying a two-day trip to Newcastle-Gateshead and experiencing a cross-section of London’s cultural scene.

The festival began with a silent walk around Stratford town centre and the Olympic site, inspiring the artists to reflect upon their new environment, and culminated at Stratford Circus on Friday 18 July with performances of collaborative work created over the two-week period. 

Kerry Michael, Artistic Director at Theatre Royal Stratford East, said: “The new International Festival of Emerging Artists has been established to encourage young artists to come together and share and explore their various talents, ideas and experiences.

“It’s really about making connections that otherwise wouldn’t have been made, and allowing young creative talent the opportunity to develop work while learning from each other and benefiting from the expertise provided by the festival organisers.”

The artists, selected from nominations made by leading UK and international arts organisations, have all enjoyed early success in their creative careers in the fields of dance, music, theatre and the visual arts.

Actor Duncan Asila (25), of Kenya, said: “Taking part in this festival has been a marvellous experience; it’s given me wonderful exposure and I’ve been able to interact with artists from all over the world. It’s extremely inspiring that such forums exist to promote international theatre and art.”

Throughout the festival, the artists stayed in the Student Village at the University of East London Docklands campus. UEL Performing Arts lecturers Mark Hunter, Mark O’Thomas and Ananda Breed helped lead workshops and facilitate artistic collaboration.

Mark Hunter said: “It’s been great to be involved in this inaugural festival, which produced two weeks of exciting collaboration and innovative arts practice. The final showings displayed a fascinating range and style of collaborative practice, and were attended by a large audience of partners and invited guests."

UEL’s Institute for Performing Arts Development is becoming established as a national centre for excellence with groundbreaking undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in music, theatre, dance and community arts. For further information, visit www.uel.ac.uk/ipad.

The International Festival of Emerging Artists aims to develop into an intrinsic part of the 2012 Cultural Olympiad, bringing together world voices in a celebration of international and local culture. For further information, visit www.ifea2008.com

For details and pictures contact Daniel Cherry: 020 8223 2194

Notes to Editors

The University of East London (UEL) is a global learning community with over 28,000 students from over 120 countries world-wide. Our vision is to achieve recognition, both nationally and internationally, as a successful and inclusive regional university proud of its diversity, committed to new modes of learning which focus on students and enhance their employability, and renowned for our contribution to social, cultural and economic development, especially through our research and scholarship. We have a strong track-record in widening participation and working with industry.

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