Two of the SpitLip team performed in FUSE International (formerly International Youth Arts Festival) back in 2012-13. Felix Hagen, one quarter of the SpitLip team, recorded the below to highlight their support for small arts venues and organisations that support artists at the early stages of their journey. As Felix says in his video (below), it took

‘year upon year of endless writing, rewriting and rewriting again, making mistakes, messing up, trying stuff out, realising it’s rubbish, learning from every single mistake, and honing our craft, honing our creative voice until we were able to get to the point where we could open on the West End, and not a single part of that would have been possible without organisations like Creative Youth’.

Felix goes on to speak about the importance of space, time and funding for small companies at the start of their creative process, particularly against such the challenging backdrop the industry currently faces.

Watch the full video:

Operation Mincemeat by SpitLip is about to celebrate its first full year in the West End, and has taken London by storm, receiving six Laurence Olivier Award nominations, winning two, which include Best New Musical and Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical for Jak Malone, and Best New Musical at the What’s On Stage Awards.

An early version of the show was first performed in 2019 and since then it has been staged at the New Diorama Theatre, Southwark Playhouse and Riverside Studios. The transfer to the Fortune Theatre London has now received 64 five star reviews, making it the best reviewed show in West End history.

Founder and Chair of the Charity, Robin Hutchison, stated how

‘Creative Youth was delighted to see the well deserved success of Operation Mincemeat at this year’s Olivier Awards and also their paying tribute to the importance of the Fringe. We are particularly pleased that two of the SpitLip team participated in our FUSE International festival (formerly IYAF) in its, and their, early years. Talent needs opportunities and space to grow because when you do ‘brilliant’ things can happen.’

Tickets – https://www.operationmincemeat.com

To celebrate the culmination of our AMP Kingston Project, we have a double bill AMPlify for you to dogest, discussing the Pop Fashion elements of the project and also the interactive Heritage Trail! 

Jarek once again invites guests of different generations to discuss how things have changed in the last 20 years and beyond. 

The Spotify links to both episodes can be accessed directly below, or alternatively feel free to visit our YouTube Channel.

Episode 5 – AMPlify: Pop Fashion

This episode of AMPlify is all about the world of fashion and its relationship to music. 

Our two guests have both lent their fashion expertise to the AMP project. 

They Them Ri is an LGBTQ+ trailblazer and multidisciplinary artist and creative, also known by their Drag King Persona ‘Travis Hot’. Ri has worked with the likes of TikTok, UK Black Pride, and Lush, and in June 2023 they worked with us here on the AMP project at our UPCYCLE event, in which they delivered a drag makeup workshop inspired by the style of David Bowie.

Jessica Hazel has run Smoking Gun Vintage on London’s Brick Lane for the last 15 years, and has an extensive history of working in vintage, whether in shops, pop ups or festivals such as Glastonbury. She has also worked in the music industry as a promoter and journalist, and for the AMP Heritage Trail she developed our ‘street style’ exhibit: four mannequins that highlight four different subcultures from AMP’s 1960s-1990s timeline. 

Over the course of the episode, we discuss Ri’s Bowie workshop and Jess’s exhibit, whilst also exploring fashion’s relationship to music…. Who are some of the most memorable musical style icons? How important is your look to your public appreciation? And what are some of the visual subcultures that people will associate with today’s era? 

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Host: Jarek Zaba with They Them Ri and Jessica Hazel
Editing and Mixing: Jarek Zaba
Music: Mariia Yaremak
Artwork: Courtney Ellis

Ri can be found at www.theythemri.com or Insta: @they.them.ri
Jessica’s Smoking Gun Vintage can be found on Insta: @SmokingGunVintage

More info on the AMP Heritage Trail: https://creativeyouthcharity.org/amp/ 

Episode 6 – Heritage Trail

For our very final AMPlify episode, AMP researcher Jarek Zaba invites two members of the team to discuss the newly launched Heritage Trail. 

With 17 stops in the Kingston area, the Heritage Trail is a series of displays and exhibitions that detail stories of Art, Music and Pop Fashion in the borough. 

Stops include the Rose Theatre, Kingston University, and pub venues such as the Fighting Cocks, Grey Horse and the Lamb Surbiton, as well as a main exhibition in Creative Youth’s FUSEBOX.  

Guests are Zoë Louizos, who has curated the content found across the Trail, and James Ward, who as designer has developed its graphics and associated branding. 

The series rounds off with a conversation with Creative Youth co-director Archie O’Neill, who reflects on what the AMP Kingston project as a whole has achieved over the last two years for Creative Youth and the town. 

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AMPlify is brought to you by Creative Youth with support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. 

Host: Jarek Zaba with James Ward, Zoë Louizos and Archie O’Neill
Editing and Mixing: Jarek Zaba
Music: Mariia Yaremak

Artwork: Courtney Ellis

Web: Kathy Maniura
Series Producer: Jarek Zaba

For all of the content found on the Heritage Trail and to learn more, head to: https://creativeyouthcharity.org/amp/ 

About Creative Youth Charity: Creative Youth aims to enable young people to realise their potential through the arts. We believe every young person has a right to access the arts and creativity and should be encouraged to take initiatives, risks and push boundaries in a safe, inclusive environment.