Seeing the children grow summed up festival, say organisers

ORGANISERS of this year’s Henley Youth Festival say it was a joy to see children grow in confidence and self-belief.

Thousands of children from Henley and the surrounding area showed off their creative, artistic, musical and sporting skills during the nine-day festival, which ended on Sunday.

This was the 31st year and the theme was “Growing”, which ran through many of the activities, including dance and music performances as well as competitions and workshops in schools.

There was an extensive pro- gramme of workshops in schools, including several dance classes. Danielle Yglesia led a flamenco workshop while Wise Moves Dance held a Bhangra dancing class.

The festival also hosted a number of art workshops including a digital photography session led by photographer Kathryn Fell, from Sonning Common.

Artist Emily Cooling conducted a workshop centred around the theme of “growing”, while artist Nick Garnett, known as the “Red Van Man” led a session on creating upcycled sculptures.

More than 1,500 children attended performances organised by the festival at their schools. This included more than 300 pupils in Year 5 and 6 from eight schools participated in an interactive performance of Hamlet delivered by four professional actors from the Young Shakespeare Company.

Two plays were performed at Gillotts School by The Globe Players. They included a compilation of the bard’s most famous scenes for Years 7 and 8 and Romeo and Juliet to Years 10 and 11.

For younger pupils, 11 shows of Music for Miniatures were per formed to more than 750 children in Reception to Year 3. The show brought the world of live music to pupils, from 16th century arias and Baroque music to Dvorak, Jazz and Brazilian Choro music.

The festival’s art competition received 172 entries and the winners were recognised at a prize-giving ceremony held at the town hall on Saturday.

Awards were given out in age groups, for the best 2D and 3D pieces created around the festival’s theme. The competition was judged by artist Camilla Dowse who said she was “blown away” by the stand- ard of the submissions. She said: “It’s the first year I have been involved and it has been an absolute pleasure.

“I have spent the best days looking through some amazing artworks. We are obviously a very creative town.”

Phoebe Carey, who is in Year 7 at Gillotts school, came second in the 2D nine to 11 category. She created a mixed media portrait of herself which featured pictures of her throughout the years.

Phoebe said: “It took a few weeks. I used watercolours, pencil, ink and some tissue. I like art because of how you can just express yourself and be free.”

Roxxy Savage came first in the 3D four to six age category for her sculpture of a tree with a butterfly on the top titled “Growing Courage”.

The tree, which was made out of cardboard, featured different pictures of Roxxy doing different things to grow in confidence, such as performing on stage and trying different foods.

Roxxy, six, said: “It feels good to win. It took two days to make from the morning to the night.”

Siblings Callie and Anya Barcella, from Badgemore Primary School, both received prizes. Callie, aged eight, came second in the writing competition for her poem Keep Growing and Anya, six, came second in the 3D four to six category for her sculpture “Flower in a Pot”.

The film competition was judged by filmmaker and director Jo Southwell, from Aston. The junior competition was won by Alice Vernon for her film The Frog and the senior competition was won by Tabitha Bromley for “A day gone wrong”.

The final prize to be handed out was the Elizabeth Griffin Award, which was presented by the former festival co-chair Kate Swinburne- Johnson.

The award was given to the festival in 2003 by the Griffin family to present each year to someone who epitomises the ethos of the event in honour of their daughter Elizabeth.

This year it was awarded to Anjali Shanker, from High Wycombe School. Ms Swinburne-Johnson said: “The award is given to some- body each year who we feel has made a really massive contribution to the youth festival over the years.

“Anjali has probably done everything you can do, from school workshops at Valley Road Primary to performing on stage at the Kenton and at junior proms as well. She is the kind of person who we really appreciate and hope inspires young people to continue taking part”

Throughout the festival, more than 200 children were given the opportunity to perform on stage at the Kenton Theatre over three nights.

On Wednesday and Thursday last week the New Street venue hosted a junior and senior variety night respectively.

Wednesday night featured children in Years 1 to 5 of school and showcased a range of performances, from poetry, to dance and drama.

Friends Kiki Campbell and Jolie James, both nine, performed a lyrical dance duet to I Wish from the movie Wish. They said that they had been dancing together since they were six.

Jolie said: “Whenever we’re at each other’s houses we always dance and do tricks. It’s really fun to dance, especially with your best friend.”

Kiki said: “Every year we do a routine and we take one of those routines we learn in class and make it into a duo to perform on stage.”

Eva Worsfold, seven, from Kidmore End Primary School, performed Dance Monkey by Tones. She said that it was her first performance by herself and that she enjoyed emulating the artist’s distinct voice.

She said: “I felt really nervous, a bit excited but happy. I haven’t done a performance all by myself before but I’ve performed before as part of a group. I chose the song as it has a really good voice to it but I wanted to change it up a bit and make it a bit different.”

Ferelle Fraifeld, 11, and Georgia Ford, 10, performed as part of the Valley Road Dance Company.

Ferelle said: “It’s the story of two younger girls who are sisters and their toys come to life. After the show, I literally couldn’t walk, my legs were shaking, I was nervous but also excited.”

Georgia said: “At the end, they realise it was a dream, so there are Barbies and soldiers and they do this big dance and then we wake up at the end.

“I’ve performed at the festival twice before and the audience is always very nice and it’s nice to just get on stage.”

Thursday night was a chance for performers aged 11 to 18 take to the stage. It was organised by Steph Maxwell, the director of Divas and Dudes Dance Academy.

Ms Maxwell said “We had a lovely mix of acts, including some very talented musicians, singers, dancers and gymnasts and again welcomed some showcase acts from local groups including Stageworks, Springbox Gymnastics, Divas and Dudes dance academy and Henley Youth Choir.

“It was a fabulous evening and it was clear to see that all of the children had put a great deal of effort in rehearsing their acts and they all delivered very polished performances.”

Some of the musical acts included Issac Urch, who played guitar and sang Changes by Phil Ochs, Ruby Urch who played Minuet by Boccherini on the violin and Elena and Oscar Tarling, who both played the violin, accompanied by Anna Del Nevo.

Elena played Meditation from Thais by Jules Massenet and Oscar played Bolero by Jeno Hubay. Brother and sis- ter Ayden and Shanaya Yasin both played the piano.

Taba Campbell, who is in Year 6 at Valley Road school, performed a dance routine to Ex Wives from Six the musical with her friends as well as a routine You Can Be Anything by Wizardz Of Oz with her friend Lily.

Taba, 11, said: “It’s really lovely being on the stage in our hometown theatre and showing everyone what we can do. I first performed at the festival when I was seven and I look forward to it every year.”

The show was concluded with a performance by the Henley Youth Choir. Their set included Sunrise, Sunset from Fiddler on the Roof and Blow, Gabriel Blow from Anything Goes, conducted by Richard Harker accompanied by Mary Daniels.

The junior choir sang Hard Knock Life and Tomorrow from the musical Annie and Sunrise and the Senior choir sang Little Shop of Horrors and Grow for Me from Little Shop of Horrors.

Fi Harding, who runs the choir, said: “We were thrilled to be back performing at the festival and the singers really enjoyed performing on a big stage at the Kenton. We are really proud of them.”

On Friday night young musicians took part in a “gig night” at the Kenton. The event was compered by Jayson Jaurigue, the founder of 8RAY, a music agency based in Market Place, and featured a variety of music genres from indie rock to musical theatre.

The opening act was Twenty Ten, comprising Maiden Erlegh Chiltern Edge pupils, Spencer Watkins on bass, Jack Wyatt on guitar and Charlie Griffin on drums.

Jack, 14, said: “I thought our confidence was the best it has ever been. We felt good up there but I thought it’s the little things we could have really improved on to make it better.”

He said he was pleased with how the band’s original song went down with the audience, adding: “I actually thought that was one of our best ones tonight.”

Bandmate Charlie said: “We normally play at school on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at lunchtime and then they occasionally come to my house because I have the drum kit. We just try to practise just little and often.”

Chloe Pham, 15, who is in Year 10 at Gillotts, performed a song by American singer-songwriter Mitski on piano. She said: “It was really exciting. A bit scary but definitely worth it. I just really love her songs and can really relate to them.”

She also performed with her band The Eclipse, which featured her school friends, Penny White on guitar and Brandis on vocals. The group performed their own original song A Song for Space written by Penny and Chloe along with their friend Eve Chater.

Penny and Chloe then performed Rises the Moon by Liana Flores, a song they said they had only decided to perform on the night.

Penny said: “The last song we only just picked out at the sound check. And A Song for Space we started rehearsing with Anna and Tijen about a month ago.”

Stormchasers, which featured Jake Meredith on guitar, Bertie Caplin on drums, Dhani Prabhu-Naik on keys and Alfie Rivers on bass, played a number of rock and pop hits.

The band chose to perform Teddy Picker by the Arctic Monkeys, Somewhere Only We Know by Keane and Alright by Supergrass.

Jake, aged 14, said: “We started playing about four years ago. It started with me and Dhani. Both of our parents are really into music and I had learned the guitar, Dhani had learned the piano.”

The band has previously performed together at the Harpsden Hoo-Ha, a summer music festival which is organised by Dhani’s father, Stephen. Jake said: “We needed a bass player and we found Alfie through my guitar teacher. Since then, we have just been rehearsing at every chance we can get, trying to pick up any gigs that we can find.”

Alfie, 13, said he had “loved” performing on the Kenton stage. He said: “It’s a very good audience and I found it really fun. At first I was a bit nervous but I think when you get into it you can relax.” Addressing the performers at the end of the night, compere Mr Jaurigue encouraged the young musicians to keep pursuing their hobby.

He said: “Just keep going, practise, enjoy what you are doing, stay passionate about it and just get out there and play, play, perform and just do your thing.”

Michaela Clarke, who chaired the festival for the first time this year, said: “I’m delighted that my first year as chair was such a success with nearly 3,000 young people being involved in some way. The festival is one of a kind in the UK and it takes an army of volunteers to put it on. I’d like to thank everyone who helped this year to make it all possible.

“I’d also like to thank the many sponsors and partners who have helped with funding this year, many of whom have supported us for many years. I have some new ideas for 2026 and look forward to developing these with the help of some new volunteers and organisations.”

Festival trustee Jo Dickson added: “The Growing theme was brilliantly interpreted throughout the art, film and writing competitions and in many of the dances and songs at the Kenton. We saw almost every school in our catchment taking up the offer of performances and workshops and encouraging their pupils to take part. In recent years, we have increased our provision to senior aged pupils and we want this to continue. A highlight was Gig Night, held at the Kenton last Friday.”