Buxton youth theatre group REC contributes to worldwide lockdown project

A Buxton based youth theatre company is working alongside groups across the world to create a coronavirus time capsule.
The youth theatre's  coronavirus time capsule will be housed in Buxton Museum.The youth theatre's  coronavirus time capsule will be housed in Buxton Museum.
The youth theatre's coronavirus time capsule will be housed in Buxton Museum.

The project records the pandemic from a teenager’s perspective with groups creating new videos every week in response to different topics linked to the lockdown.

Kitty Randle, artistic director of REC Youth Theatre in Buxton, said: “The project is giving our young performers a chance to keep connected, to share their experience, be creative in new ways and connect with other young performers across the world.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Both junior and senior company members have been publishing new videos every week, exploring topics like home life, school, exercise and friendship. Each video is a window into the worlds of the participants in the project, showing them at home, with their families and in their rooms.

Their final time capsules will be released on July 17 and a version of the whole time capsule will later be deposited in the collections of Buxton Museum and Art Gallery. Kitty said: “The museum have supported us with a grant from the Arts Council England Emergency Response Fund.”

Two of the senior and junior company time capsule videos can now be viewed on YouTube .

Hundreds of groups from 16 countries, including Kenya, Brazil, Australia, Croatia and the USA, are involved in the intitiative.

Hide Ad

Ned Glazier, artistic director of London-based Youth Theatre Three which launched the project, said: “We are so excited that REC Youth Theatre Company have joined with this huge network of youth theatres, schools and other youth groups to create their own Coronavirus Time Capsule. We know that the shutdown is particularly difficult for teenagers, living with all that the pandemic has brought and missing out on key rites of passage in their education and emotional development. So we wanted to provide something to provide support, connection and a space to be heard – and a chance to connect with teenagers in similar situations all over the world.”

The Coronavirus Time Capsule is free to youth theatres, amateur companies and community arts projects and includes a blueprint and online working resources.

Related topics: