There’s yet more to come for the region’s contribution to the Year of Young People 2018 which has just been announced by the Young Promoters Group (YPG), managed by Dumfries & Galloway Arts Festival, Scotland’s largest rural performing arts festival.
One of the best-known and best-loved multi-award winning Scottish bands, Manran, will take to the stage as one of the final events of the Stage iT performance arts programming of the Year of Young People 2018 in Dumfries & Galloway. Manran will perform at Stranraer FC Fitba Bar, Function Lounge on Friday 7 December.
Following the 2011 launch of their debut single, “Latha Math” the band has enjoyed a meteoric rise to the top of the Scottish music world that quickly saw them playing many of the most prestigious festivals in Europe and establishing their characteristic sound and distinctive approach to musical arrangement.
Also leading up to the region’s finale in Stranraer is The Coolidge Effect, presented by Wonderfools, to be performed in four locations across the region – Annan and Dumfries (Monday 3 December) Newton Stewart and Castle Douglas (Tuesday 4 December). The event is organised by The Youth Enquiry Service and Oasis Centre and is part of a region-wide programme being supported by a number of partners including youth management Committee, Sexual Health D&G and the NHS Health & Wellbeing. Tackling a taboo subject, this thought-provoking show is devised from interviews with porn advocates, addicts, mental health experts and scientists and conveys unique stories and viewpoints using an interactive blend of storytelling, poetry and science to examine how pornography affects our mental health, relationships and sexual experiences with an addiction that currently sees 10 million porn videos viewed per day in the UK alone.
An hour of entertainment has also been programmed by the Youth Promoters Group and will take place on Sunday 2 December at Dumfries Plainstanes with fun, musical performances that will appeal to a family audience during the run up to the town’s Christmas Lights Switch On. The hilarious and aptly-dressed musical performance by Santadelica will be followed by local band, The Flashes, who will have revellers well warmed up with some chart topping hits.
These events mark the end of a successful year for the Youth Promoters Group who have delivered Stage iT, a year-round programme of theatre, music and performing arts events specifically aimed at increasing engagement from young people and helping lower the audience demographic to include a significant number of people whom are under 26 years old. The YPG are a collective of young people who live across Dumfries & Galloway, aged 16–26 years old, whose aim is for performing arts to become more diverse and accessible.
Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland’s Director of Events, said:
“We are delighted to support the young Stage iT programmers as part of Scotland’s Year of Young People 2018 celebrations.
“The region-wide arts programme gave young people the opportunity to have their say in how events are run and programmed. The entirely co-designed programme further reinforces Scotland’s position as the perfect stage for events by handing over the reins to our younger generation and allowing them to showcase Scotland’s incredible young talent.”
Catriona McGhie, Project Assistant to the YPG, said:
“We’re really excited about Manran coming to Stranraer and delighted the Young Promoters Group were able to secure them. Being able to choose the events which come to your local area has been an empowering opportunity through working with Dumfries & Galloway Arts Festival in the Year of Young People 2018. And as part of our year-end programme we’ve helped support the Coolidge Effect – issue based theatre for young people to experience a first-hand live event but also something that’s educational and factual and we expect our hour’s programming in the run up to the Christmas Lights Switch On will help get party-goers in the mood for a fun, festive evening!”
For tickets for Manran programmed by the Young Promoters Group visit www.dgartslive.org.uk
