OVER 300 YOUNG PERFORMERS PRESENT THEIR 'ACTS OF KINDNESS' PRODUCTION THIS WEEKEND

One of the South West’s leading performing arts companies for children and young people is releasing a live-stream film featuring 30 acts of kindness taken from images, poems, music and stories they’ve gathered during the pandemic.

Fi Da Silva Adams, founder of Revolution Performing Arts (RPA), based in Swindon, 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.”

The youngsters, from as young as four up to aged 17, will cover all aspects of the performance from singing, song-writing, dancing, acting, make up, costume and even getting involved in 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 old boys, David Hunt and William Cottell, are studying the techie side of theatre alongside OT House and assisting with lighting and sound. 

In a year when official work experience is difficult to come by, these young people are travelling to venues throughout Swindon, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire to be assistant technicians in this unique experience.

Other young participants of the live-stream film 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 real resilience in making changes for Covid-secure ways to be expressive, both physically and visually.

Some of the acts of kindness featured will include special anniversary meals, NHS workers 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!

The RPA circus theatre arts group are creating their own performance work with the same stimulus. Whilst the media make up & 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, which is very different to r live theatre.

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

Fi Da Silva Adams said: “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.”

The live-stream starts at 6pm on Saturday 12th June and costs £11.37 per family (includes booking fee and a copy of the recording). To book, click on the Eventbrite link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/acts-of-kindness-tickets-153966763735. 

*Pictures taken by Laura Barnes.