CONNECT festival york 19-23 July
This 5-days festival will consist of 10 evening performances and over 20 workshops, masterclasses and presentations held by local creatives in York. It will provide early-career theatre makers opportunities to practice their craft and develop in a low risk environment, as well as building a community of creatives in York to share, learn and celebrate their success. It will also offer free-of-charge networking sessions to provide a safe environment for young artists to connect and foster their creative development
The four wheel drive journey…
Co-founders Joly & Anna embarked on the journey together in January this year. As active members of the creative community in York they are dedicated to make their mark on the city’s creative culture.
The Four Wheel Drive journey has been full of twists, turns and successes. As the team has expanded, the vision has become more of a reality, with opportunities being created for emerging creators in York.
Our passion is to provide such emerging artists an opportunity to believe in their work and to empower them, offering them practical skills as well as courage and the right mindset to overcome and tackle what could feel as a challenging and overwhelming industry to step in.
The festival is the next step in this journey, and engages creatives beyond the boundary of theatre with its diverse line ups of workshops from local artists, encouraging to question and discuss the future of theatre. This unique approach to connect people beyond the boundaries will open up the possibilities in York’s cultural development.
Donating to this project supports not only the local artists to develop but also to lead to a brighter future of York to be a creative, vibrant city.
How will we spend the money?
- The £1,000 will support us by subsidising the cost to artists bringing their work to the festival, and to local creatives looking to accelerate their practice and connect with one another.
- £350- Food & Drink: we want to provide artists and volunteers with refreshments throughout the week to reduce the cost to them in purchasing lunch & dinner, these costs can add up and make huge barriers for individuals early in their career.
- £200- Programming: this will allow us to enhance our offering, bringing more industry leaders into the festival, offering valuable insights for creatives to learn and connect.
- £150- Printing: as a new organisation & festival we need to get the word out! Brochures, posters and flyers hugely help attracting audiences to our festival.
- £300- Advertising: Utilising instagram & facebook ads to boost our social media presence and bring as many people to our festival as possible!
- Beyond this, any extra funds will boost our marketing budget, allowing us to reach even more creatives in York. For example, we’d love to run more local paid ads, these require additional funds.
joly (left) and anna (right) being photographed by lucy phillips at the venue for connect.
Sophie (left) and jamie (right) at the venue for connect.
Photos from our monthly 'creator connect' events, providing networking opportunities for early career creatives
Some Photos of the fabulous show's we have lined up at connect festival. See our website for more details!
Follow us…
Follow us on our instagram: @FourWheelDriveTheatre or our dedicated festival account @ConnectFestYork
Find out more on our website www.fourwheeldrivetheatre.co.uk & www.connectyork.co.uk
To thank you for your kind support we have some exciting rewards on offer…
- £15. Unlimited tea and coffee pass for any daytime events you attend during the week of the festival.
- Not in York? A £20 donation will offer you exclusive updates to the progress of the festival and behind the scenes sneak peaks before anyone else!
- VIP evening ticket for 1- £50. Ticket to see 2 shows in an evening of the festival, a complimentary drink and exclusive chance to meet with the cast and creatives behind the performances.
- VIP evening ticket for 2- £100. 2x Tickets to see 2 shows in an evening of the festival, a complimentary drink and exclusive chance to meet with the cast and creatives behind the performances
- VIP Evening Pass- £200. Come and watch the next generation of theatre-makers that your money has created an opportunity. This pass offers VIP access to all 10 evening shows Wednesday - Saturday
If you cannot donate today, there are other ways you can support us…
- Following our socials
- Sharing our posts & YuStart to anyone you think may able interested / able to support
- SPREAD THE WORD! Talk to people about our festival, word of mouth is a hugely powerful tool!
- If you’d prefer to offer your time, consider volunteering at the festival. Contact info@fourwheeldrivetheatre.co.uk for more information on how you can support us.
The Team
Anna & Joly are supported by a fabulous team of individuals dedicated to the Four Wheel Drive vision, and to their own creative careers.
Ione Vaughan- Associate Producer, Ione is a master of events, and focussing on the celebrate york strand of the festival. UoY alumni.
Grace Moore- Associate Producer, Grace’s expertise lie in the Screen industries, she is honing the innovate strand of the festival, exploring VR (virtual reality), VP (virtual production) and Mo-Cap (Motion Capture) technology. PHD student at UoY.
Hana Tamaru- Assistant Producer, Hana brings an infectious energy to the team and is a huge support to the producers. UoY alumni.
Jamie Williams- Brand Co-ordinator, Jamie’s creative mindset and attention to detail elevates the Four Wheel Drive brand and he is a crucial part of the team. UoY student.
Sophie Griffiths- Marketing Co-ordinator, Sophie skilfully manages the social media accounts, ensuring we are creating brilliant content that best represents us. UoY student.
Please consider donating to our crowdfunder to support the next generation of creatives in York.
Special thanks to Lucy Phillips for filming and Erin McLeod for editing the video seen on this YuStart. As well as to all of the Four Wheel Drive team, dedicating their time to making this project possible.
