CONNECT Festival

Hello! We're Four Wheel Drive, a York-based theatre company!

We will be hosting our inaugural CONNECT festival from the 19th to the 23rd of July 2023 at Theatre @41 Monkgate. We aim to connect York-based creatives with one another, and the next stage in their career.

The event will not only connect local creatives with like-minded individuals and industry experts, but it will also allow networking across disciplines, as live arts, digital media and innovative technology will connect to celebrate creative communities here in York!

CONNECT offers opportunities for people in York to connect with York’s creative and cultural scene. Festival guests include:

-Ben Porter, founder of NODE and York Creatives

-Mary Stewart David of Imminent XR

-Freelance playwright Paul Birch

-Joe Rees-Jones of XR Stories

-Award winning audio drama producer Kate Valentine

Masterclasses, workshops, networking events and panels during the day and early evening will offer local creatives the chance to broaden their horizons, and network with others who share the same passions! The evenings will house incredible performances, and on selected days, late-night entertainment will follow!

Here's a small rundown of the incredible events on offer for each day:

Wednesday - Women's Stories: The opening night of the festival will centre around women's experiences and stories. A networking event, and performances that explore growing up and facing adversity? Umissable stuff!

17:00-19:00 - Creative Women In Networking Event

19:00-20:30 - WOEBEGONE by Rhia Burston

20:45-21:45 - BEHIND MY SCARS by Gieogia Test

Thursday - Non-Linear Narratives: The second evening has arrived, and we're feeling non-linear! Thursday's performances are fragmented, out of order, and absolutely superb! We've also got some cracking events in the daytime too!

17:00-19:00 - Networking for Digital Creatives

19:30-21:00 - Freelancing 101 Masterclass with Ben Porter

19:30-20:30 - IF YOU FIND THIS by Bee Scott

20:45-21:45 - THE RETURN by Natasha Stanic Mann

Friday - Comedic Capers and Tech Treasures: After some exploration into the worlds of tech and immersive theatre, night three will explore the creative power of comedy - with even some burlesque thrown in for good measure! Who'd have thought toxic masculinity could run on the same night as a farce? We did!

12:00-17:30 - VR Showcase

16:00-17:30 - Creating Interactive and Immersive Musicals with Mary Stewart David

17:00-19:00 - Networking and Photo Exhibition

18:00-19:00 Virtual Production Panel

19:00-20:30 - SELF HELP by Joe Maddalena and Gianluca Scatto

20:45-21:45 - ON THE RAIL by Aidan Loft

Saturday - Writing and LGBTQ+ Night: After we've got your creative juices flowing, for night number four, we've got a triple threat that'll be sure to knock you out! Two queer evening shows followed by the riotous and hilarious Family Shambles Drag Act! You cannot miss this!

10:30 - 17:00 Creating Audio Dramas Workshop with Kate Valentine

12:00-17:00 - VR Showcase

12:15-13:45 - Improv Comedy Workshop with Paul Birch

14:30 - 16:00 - Playwriting: Opening Lines Workshop with Paul Birch

18:00 - 19:00: Future of Theatre Panel

19:00-20:30 - NICE JEWISH BOY by Josh Maughan

20:45-21:45 - CONTRADICKTION by Same Circle Theatre

22:00-23:00 - The Family Shambles Drag Performance

Sunday: Family-Friendly Fun: While the final day of the festival has no evening shows, we've got a sheer smorgasboard of events to everyone's taste, as well as family-friendly events for the little ones!

10:00 - 14:00 (with a performance to parents at 16:00) - Play In A Day (10-14 year olds) with the EDUCATE Creative Team

11:30-13:30 - Motion Capture for Families and Children

12:30 - 13:30 - Build A Terrarium Workshop with The Outside In

14:00 - 16:00 It's Alive! Puppeteering Workshop with the OBJECT Project

14:30 - 15:30: VR Showcase

15:00 - 17:00 - Interaction in Immersive Narratives Masterclass with Daniel Lock

Co-producer Anna Gallon is passionate about welcoming everyone to the festival, be they from a theatrical background or not: ‘If you want to pursue your creativity, then my question would be; why not? This is a positive and inspiring space where we want to know what you are creating and what you are interested in.’

For co-producer Joly, this ties in with accessibility; ‘The success of Connect is all about opportunity; I want to create as many opportunities for people to learn, exploring their creativity in a low-risk environment and build their network to step up their career.’

But who are we? At Four Wheel Drive, we are dedicated to providing off-road theatrical experiences to the people of York. To us, off-road theatre is unconventional, creating exciting new work and exploring new possibilities within theatre. Through this, we prioritise creating opportunities for early career creatives, supporting them on their journey to success. As one of the four wheels that form the central ethos of our company, CONNECT is all about doing just that - forging a strong, connected creative community in York, and unleashing the creative potential that lies dormant in everyone!

For creative looking to be connected with the next stage of your career, those intrigued by new technologies and meeting new people. Or simply those looking to have a great time watching vibrant performances, come on down to the CONNECT Festival from the 19th to the 23rd of July! We’ve got something for everyone!

Browse tickets at www.connectyork.co.uk with free events available! Book now to avoid disappointment as tickets are very limited!

For updates, follow @connectfestyork on Instagram or email hi@connectyork.co.uk for any queries.

Only one question remains.

You in?