News
18 / 05 / 10
Well done to everyone who took part in this year’s Henley Youth Festival over the last few weeks. About 2,000 children took part in 45 events, ranging from sport to art and cooking to drama.
This year’s theme, ‘Imagine’, inspired participants in all sorts of ways, from the fabulous sculptures and mad hatter’s tea party, through the incredible costumes and originality shown by our dancers, to the culinary creations and alternative visions shown by our poets and film-makers.
A huge thank you goes to the many volunteers who helped before and during each of the events to make it all possible.
The Festival has grown from strength to strength over the 16 years since its inception and we would love to see some new faces in the main organising group. If you would like to offer your help in any way over the coming year to help build the 2011 Festival, please get in touch with Helen McLure at helenmc.hyf@googlemail.com. We also welcome any ideas and suggestions for new events to introduce, and also comments on existing ones to help us improve for next year.
Finally, we would like to say a big thank you to the HenleyStandard for giving such fantastic support to the Festival. To read some of the great stories from this year’s events go Here
24 / 03 / 10
Mixed teams try out tag rugby
MIXED teams of boys and girls took part in a tag rugby tournament as part of the Henley Youth Festival.
The tournament was organised by the PE department and year 10 students at Gillotts School and held on the secondary’s playing fields in Gillotts Lane.
Each team comprised eight players with two reserves. At least three girls had to be included in a squad. The emphasis in tag rugby is safety first. The rules say that only the player with the ball can be tagged and a tag is the removal by a defender of one of two ribbons from the ball carrier. Carriers can run or dodge taggers but cannot fend them off, spin around or guard their ribbons.
Referance Henley Standard: http://www.henleystandard.co.uk/news/news.php?id=733676
18/01/10
Cooking contest added to youth festival
ORGANISERS of the Henley Youth Festival have started preparations for this year’s event by announcing its competitions and performance deadlines.
Joining the annual photography, film, writing and art competitions is a new MasterChef-style event which will be held in collaboration with Hotel du Vin in New Street.
All the competitions focus on the festival’s theme for 2010, “Imagine”.
Helen McClure, who chairs the festival, said: “These competitions are supported by both local businesses, including the Bell Bookshop and Hotel du Vin, and independent professionals in art, photography and film.
"We really hope young people will take up the opportunities these events offer to showcase their work.
"Younger children can enjoy the chance to use their talents freely and older entrants have the opportunity to exhibit outside a school environment, which is something really positive to include on a university entrance or job application.”
Entries for the art, film and photography competitions will form an exhibition at the Henley Exhibition Centre from March 24 to 31 and there are prizes for all competitions, some cash and some in-kind.
Also launched this week are the performance events, including dancer, musician, entertainer, singer and gig night.
Music events co-ordinator Tina Jacobs said: “Now is the time to be thinking about what you would like to perform and who you would like to perform with.
"Ask your music or dance teacher to help you if you like and plan some time to practise. It’s amazing how quickly the entry deadline comes around.”
The deadline for all entries is March 5. Full details can be found on the festival website,www.hyf.org.uk
Referance Henley Standard: http://www.henleystandard.co.uk/news/news.php?id=702660
15/12/09
New Posters for HYF 2010!
An A5 flyer with details of Competitions and Performing Arts will go out to all schools and be distributed via the Henley Standard in early January 2010 to give you lots of notice on events and how to apply etc.
Competitions Poster: Download
Performing Arts Poster: Download
23/11/09
DECEMBER COMPETITION - IDEAS WANTED URGENTLY...
We want YOUR ideas (before December 18th) so that Alfie Hay can write the final part of the ‘Jewel in the River’ an exciting event to be performed in the Hexagon, March 2010.
This is the story of Henley and the ending will be based on your ideas of how you see the future of your town.
21/11/09
The Big Gig(gle)
On Saturday 21st November Shiplake Memorial Hall rocked to the sound of live jazz, blues and rock music from various extraordinarily enthusiastic bands of 40-somethings, including ‘The Mothers of Invention and Coldplay - with fantastic support from their considerably more talented kids.
The event was in aid of raising funds for the 2010 Festival and great fun was had by all. Huge thanks go the organisers and participants. Rumour has it that due to popular demand the event will now be a fixture on the HYF calendar so look out for next year’s happenings.
09/11/09
The Big Gig(gle)
Saturday 21st November
Shiplake Village Hall
7.30 – 11.00pm
Live jazz, blues and rock music from various un-named but extraordinarily enthusiastic bands of 40-somethings with support from their considerably more talented kids. Bop, sing along, have a laugh (or just sit in a corner nursing a beer and grinning).
All in aid of raising funds for HYF 2010. Licensed bar available (of course!).
03/11/09
A COMPETITION has been launched to find inspirational ideas for next year's Henley Youth Festival.
Festival founder Alfie Hay will shape the third act of his cantanta on the best suggestions submitted under the festival theme of "imagine".
The composer said: "We are asking people to imagine how they want Henley to be. It can be a dream and doesn't have to be realistic.
"It can be anything - a drawing, a model, a sentence, a phrase. It can be as simple a suggesting saying 'hello' to people in the street." The cantata will be peformed by 400 children at the Hexagon in Reading during the annual festival in March.
To mark a decade since the new millennium, it will follow a similar structure to the performance in 2000.
It will feature a feud between the vying powers of the goddess Isis, who symbolizes the natural qualities of the river, and the River Thames, which represents commerce and business. The third act will see young people voicing their opinions against both institutions and performers will hold placards with some of the favourite competition entries on them.
The competition idea follows last month's youth conference held at Gillotts School in Henley and the resulting festival Burst the Bubble campaign, which focuses on the town's future and gives young people their say.
The Standard, a festival spsonor, is supporting the competition and entries can be dropped off or posted to our offices in Station Road, Henley, until December 12. The overall winner will receive £50 and the ideas will be published in the Standard as well as featured in the cantata.
For £50, businesses can sponsor T-shirts featuring their logos that will be worn by the cantata performers. If you are interested, email Mrs McClure at helenmc.hyf@googlemail.com
Referance Henley Standard: http://www.henleystandard.co.uk/news/news.php?id=31911
28/10/09
Next year’s theme was top of the agenda at the annual Festival open planning meetingheld in King’s Barn on October 18th. It was attended by teachers and parentrepresentatives from many primary schools, Gillotts School, Henley Youth Centre and othervoluntary organisations.
We welcome some new volunteers this year and look forward to the fresh ideas andenergy which helps to keep the Festival getting better and better.
The theme for 2010 was confirmed as ‘Imagine’. This may include imagining the future ofthe Henley area, or anyone can interpret it how they like – imagine the possibilities!
All the usual events in sport and the arts will take place and workshops and shows are nowbeing booked.
Over the coming weeks information will be added to the website so please keep a look outfor the important dates for your diary.
21/10/09
A huge Thank You to all who took part in and supported the fantastic 2009 Festival.
More than 1,500 children took part in 35 events, which ranged from Photography to Football and Drama to Dance.
To read all the great coverage in the Henley Standard, visit their website www.henleystandard.co.uk/events/
Information on all the exciting events now being planned for 2010 will follow shortly
