Chronicle Summer 2023

34 ST EDWARD’S CHRONICLE

Ten years of NT Connections 2023 marked The North Wall’s 10th year of hosting NT Connections , the National Theatre’s annual festival celebrating young people, theatre-making and the importance of access to the arts.

Ria Parry, Director of The North Wall with Deputy Director, Amy Walters

The OX2 Collective in rehearsal for Strangers Like Me

Each year, the National Theatre commissions ten new plays for young people to perform, bringing together some of the most exciting writers with the theatre-makers of tomorrow. With local festivals taking place in venues across the country, Connections is an unforgettable feast of theatre made by and for young people. As a partner venue, The North Wall hosted a four-day festival of performances by nine companies from schools and youth theatre groups from Oxfordshire and

beyond – including our very own OX2 Collective, a company of young actors from St Edward’s School and the local community. A joint initiative between The North Wall and St Edward’s, OX2 Collective brings together a new ensemble of young people every September, who meet weekly with the company’s co-directors, Katrina Eden (Director of Drama at Teddies) and Abie Walton (Participation Manager at The North Wall) to rehearse their selected Connections play. This year, the group performed

Strangers Like Me by Ed Harris, a beautiful and funny play exploring grief. As well as watching each other’s shows, festival participants were able to take part in a huge range of workshops – from physical theatre and playwriting to stage combat and beatboxing – led by professional artists. Huge thanks to the Teddies catering team, who provide lunch and dinner for festival-goers each day, allowing groups from different schools to get to know each other between shows.

‘OX2 Collective has helped me to develop skills in acting and movement as well as allowing me to make some amazing friends! I love the mixture and diversity of the group – it was great to socialise with people in and outside of the school that I may never have met otherwise.’ OX2 COLLECTIVE PARTICIPANT ‘The festival enables like-minded peers to forge friendships, young performers to develop new skills and young companies to experience performing in a professional venue. These opportunities are invaluable for young people – The North Wall is all about making high quality art accessible to all and NT Connections is a huge part of that.’ ABIE WALTON, PARTICIPATION MANAGER AT THE NORTH WALL

Rehearsals in Teddies’ mirrored dance studio