Stowmarket pupils get creative as Jubilant! youth festival returns

A launch event has kicked off a popular youth festival which will showcase school children’s creativity.

This year’s Jubilant! Festival, organised by Stowmarket Culture Group, will see 10 commissioned artists work on creative projects in schools throughout the town.

This includes Abbots Hall Primary, Chilton Primary, Stowmarket High, Cedars Park, Stowupland High, Debenham High, Combs Ford, Freeman Primary, Wood Ley Primary and Olive AP Academy.

Practitioner Callan Durrant, from Reflex Theatre, said: “We really like the festival’s theme of ‘tomorrow’ and we want to look at what tomorrow will look like for our children.

“As our cohort at Cedars Park are Year 6 pupils, we know there is a massive change as they move to secondary school.

“The important thing about Jubilant! is that the kids drive it – they decide the way they want to do it”.

The proposed creative projects include a flash-mob performance, stop motion animation, folk music and podcasting.

All the projects will be hosted at popular venues around Stowmarket including the Food Museum, Fox Yard Studio, the John Peel Centre, The Mix, Red Gables and Stowmarket Library.

The festival will take place from Wednesday, June 7 until Wednesday, June 14 and the projects will be starting in schools from Monday, April 17.

Last year was a great success and saw pupils from Mendlesham Primary work with musician Andi Hopgood to stage their own musical at The Regal.

Meanwhile, Joe Allen from We Drum led children from Freeman Community Primary on a drumming march through the St Mary and St Peter’s churchyard before the finale in the John Peel Centre.

Jubilant! is being funded by Mid Suffolk District Council Community Development Fund as well as Suffolk County Council Local Education Partnership.