The big names of tomorrow are Made in Kent

This summer, Canterbury Festival has been on the hunt for Kent’s talented young writers, musicians, comedians and performers who have the potential to become the big names of tomorrow.

The festival’s Made in Kent stand offers local performers professional support, training, development advice and the opportunity to perform to a live festival audience.

This year’s Made in Kent theatre winners are Weighty Bowl, a third-year University of Kent student company who will be performing The Lamentable Tragedie of the Canterbury Strangler on October 26. It tells the tragic tale of Grace, the glover’s daughter whose suitors are all being murdered by the mysterious Canterbury Strangler. Tragedy, romance and intrigue blossom as the lowly Lieutenant Dick and Constable Shins attempt to capture the Strangler. Come along for verse, violence, and veritable nonsense. And ruffs.

In partnership with Kent Dance Network, Made in Kent: Dance will be showcasing three exciting new contemporary shows on October 24, including a heartbreakingly revealing performance about our desire to connect with one another from Rachel Birch-lawson, as well as spectacular and thought-provoking performances from Loop Dance Company and Outset Dance. Made in Kent: Comedy offers budding local comedians the opportunity to entertain you at the Lanfranc Theatre on October 17. Judged by industry professionals and compèred by last year’s winner the Rev Ravi Holy, this is surely Last year, the festival enabled 95 children and young people to achieve Arts Awards, it received 989 applications for Made in Kent competitions and provided 1,062 hours of work experience opportunities for local students. going to be a barrel of laughs!

Arts activity can play a strong role in promoting good health, tackling social exclusion and highlighting the mental and physical challenges that members of society face on a daily basis. Created in 2015, Canterbury Festival’s annual LINK project invites a group or community that wouldn’t normally have access to the arts to take part in a project with the festival. This year the festival is working on a dance project with Porchlight, an arts and craft project with Catching Lives, a hip-hop project with St Nicholas School, a stop-motion animation project with Rising Sun Domestic Violence and Abuse Service and a singing project with Meadow View Residential Care home.