Young Swindon performers highlight acts of kindness

By Barrie Hudson - 10 June 2021

CommunityArts and Culture

Revolution Performing Arts (RPA) is releasing a live-stream film featuring 30 acts of kindness.

  • Some of the Revolution Performing Arts team in action

    Some of the Revolution Performing Arts team in action

The Swindon organisation's project uses images, poems, music and stories gathered during the pandemic.

Acts of kindness featured will include special anniversary meals, the work of NHS staff and other events or actions brought to light during a time of darkness, and are being portrayed via songs, drama and dance. 

They are used as a stimulus for the young performers to ‘magically’ turn into their own superheroes.

RPA founder Fi Da Silva Adams said: “This is the first time we have ever done something like this. Our film, Acts of Kindness, will be live-streamed at 6pm on Saturday, June 12 with around 300 talented young people taking part.

“In the preparation rehearsals for Acts of Kindness, true humanity shone through to demonstrate how young people see kindness in this world and, with this in their hands, we have a lighter and brighter future. 

"In this wonderful film, you will see resilience, bravery, creativity and joy as young people have battled through the lockdown of Covid 19 to see the light of kindness around them.” 

Those young people, aged from four to 17, will cover all aspects of the performance including singing, songwriting, dancing, acting, makeup, costume and the technical side of film making.

Local film maker, Henry Meredith and his team from OT House are filming the acts of kindness pieces and facilitating the live-stream. 

Two 14-year-olds, David Hunt and William Cottell, are studying the technical side of theatre alongside OT House and assisting with lighting and sound. 

In a year when official work experience is difficult to come by, the two are travelling to venues throughout Swindon, the rest of Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire to be assistant technicians.

Other young participants have written their own songs, laid down their own soundtracks, created their own choreography, written and directed their own theatre pieces, adapted to new technologies, mastered circus theatre skills and found covid-safe ways to be expressive, both physically and visually.

The RPA circus theatre arts group are creating their own performance work with the same stimulus, and the media, make up and costume team have been providing mood boards to the RPA Leaders and helping with costume requirements. 

They’ve also given advice on make up for film.

Recording started last month and the young people have taken part in 29 filming sessions all over the RPA area, with one completed on Zoom. There have been approximately 50 hours of filming involving four film makers, four technicians and 15 RPA leaders.

The filming and live-streaming of Acts of Kindness has been made possible thanks to a £25,000 grant received by Revolution Performing Arts from the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund.

The live-stream starts at 6pm on Saturday, 12 June, and viewing is priced at £11.37 per family, including a booking fee and a copy of the recording. 

Booking can be arranged via https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/acts-of-kindness-tickets-153966763735

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