THE EDGE - for Creative Youth Network
in partnership with: Arnolfini, Colston Hall, RISE Youth Dance, Bath Spa University, Pocket Session Choir, Studio 7, and Boom Satsuma
Conceived & directed by Nick Young
Written by Edson Burton
Devised by the company
Sound design by Joe Hill
Visual media by Alice Barkwell
Design by Esther Deans
Performed by the young people of Bristol
Supported by Arts Council England
"We push our contestant to their limits - mentally, physically, emotionally. We push them so they can learn to cope with the pressure. We push them to find out if they have The Edge."
The Edge is an interactive promenade performance that explores the dark underbelly of reality television. Following 6 months of workshops and consultation with young people around expectations of young people (in particular young artists and creatives) where we looked at the touted path to 'success', we boiled our conversations down to one conceit: how much of yourself can you give away until there is nothing left to give. Using that as a starting point for devising we worked with local playwright Edson Burton to create a large-scale show that re-creates the world of a live television talent show called The Edge. In this show the audience play the role of VIPs invited backstage to participate in the selection, training, and ultimate destruction of 5 young hopefuls. Taking place in two prominent arts centres in Bristol - Arnolfini and Colston Hall, in 2018 and 2019, the show took the audience on a journey that featured dance, theatre, spoken word, grime, live art, projections, and holophonic sound to create a hellish descent from the giddy heights of untapped potential to the inevitable doom of corporate exploitation. Featuring a team of over 90 young artists and performers in all roles from leading rehearsals to building bespoke voting apps The Edge was a triumphant showcase of Bristol's emerging talent.
"This was better than many of the professional productions of this kind that I've seen (and paid a lot more money for) in London. A new paradigm for participatory youth work" - relationship officer Arts Council England.
in partnership with: Arnolfini, Colston Hall, RISE Youth Dance, Bath Spa University, Pocket Session Choir, Studio 7, and Boom Satsuma
Conceived & directed by Nick Young
Written by Edson Burton
Devised by the company
Sound design by Joe Hill
Visual media by Alice Barkwell
Design by Esther Deans
Performed by the young people of Bristol
Supported by Arts Council England
"We push our contestant to their limits - mentally, physically, emotionally. We push them so they can learn to cope with the pressure. We push them to find out if they have The Edge."
The Edge is an interactive promenade performance that explores the dark underbelly of reality television. Following 6 months of workshops and consultation with young people around expectations of young people (in particular young artists and creatives) where we looked at the touted path to 'success', we boiled our conversations down to one conceit: how much of yourself can you give away until there is nothing left to give. Using that as a starting point for devising we worked with local playwright Edson Burton to create a large-scale show that re-creates the world of a live television talent show called The Edge. In this show the audience play the role of VIPs invited backstage to participate in the selection, training, and ultimate destruction of 5 young hopefuls. Taking place in two prominent arts centres in Bristol - Arnolfini and Colston Hall, in 2018 and 2019, the show took the audience on a journey that featured dance, theatre, spoken word, grime, live art, projections, and holophonic sound to create a hellish descent from the giddy heights of untapped potential to the inevitable doom of corporate exploitation. Featuring a team of over 90 young artists and performers in all roles from leading rehearsals to building bespoke voting apps The Edge was a triumphant showcase of Bristol's emerging talent.
"This was better than many of the professional productions of this kind that I've seen (and paid a lot more money for) in London. A new paradigm for participatory youth work" - relationship officer Arts Council England.
