New Gen Festival – a one-day festival of music, dance and spoken word by and for young people in the borough – is fast approaching and this year’s show will be more inclusive than ever.
Back for its third year, New Gen will feature an Include Me stage, which will showcase the IMPACT Theatre Band, Chicken Shed Theatre, the Mencap Choir, West London Performing Arts Academy. There will also be a quiet chill-out zone, and much more.
The New Gen Festival is on Wednesday 24 July, from 12.30pm to 9.30pm in Walpole Park. Tickets start from £3 and are still available to buy online.
Supporting young people
Include Me is an Ealing Council initiative that supports children and young people with additional needs. The council is working in partnership with the Youth Social Network, Ealing Parent Carer Forum, Ealing Services for Children with Additional Needs (ESCAN), and voluntary sector partner organisations to ensure the inclusion of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in the planning and delivery of services that support them.
Performers with additional needs will feature ‘front and centre’ on the festival’s Include Me stage, and have the opportunity to entertain festival-goers.
The inclusion into this year’s festival came after a consultation by the council earlier this year with young people with additional needs, asking what they wanted to see in a festival created for them.
Platform for young people
Since its launch in 2022, the New Gen Festival has been a platform for young people to showcase their musical talents and broaden their career opportunities. The event is organised by Ealing Council, in partnership with a host of organisations including JE Delve, Elevate Arts, Southall Community Alliance, the University of West London and Rebels & Pilgrims, and shows the council’s continued investment in grass roots arts and culture.
The council’s cabinet member for thriving communities, Councillor Blerina Hashani said: “We are an inclusive borough, and we’re proud to increase accessibility for those children and young people in our community who would like to attend and participate in these types of events but would normally be marginalised or excluded.
“New Gen Festival is a platform created by and for young people in the borough It’s wonderful to see all members of our community being given the space and opportunity to express themselves and show off their talents on a huge platform.”
For the New Gen programme schedule and artist line-ups, visit the New Gen Festival website.
Other dates for your diaries:
• Latino Life – 20 July
• Ealing Comedy Festival – 18-19, 25-26 July
• Ealing Blues Festival – 27-28 July
• Ealing Jazz Festival – 3-4 August
