A theatre in Kilburn has launched its most ambitious project to take over six satellite venues across the borough in a bid to engage communities and participants.

Brent & Kilburn Times: Mapping Brent at the Tricycle Theatre (Pic: Mark Douet)Mapping Brent at the Tricycle Theatre (Pic: Mark Douet) (Image: Photo by Mark Douet)

The Tricycle Theatre in Kilburn High Road has launched Mapping Brent, a new initiative that sees five new theatres for young people and a sixth for all ages all on home turf.

The unique project involves the Tricycle working on a weekly basis with venues in Neasden, South Kilburn, Stonebridge, Wembley Park, Harlesden and Kilburn holding workshops, event and activities.

Twelve professional playwrights and directors from the across the industry have been engaged to lead the project including Sonali Bhattacharyya, Cressida Brown, Toby Clarke, Tinuke Craig, Emma Dennis Edwards, Shereen Jasmin-Phillips, Chino Odimba, Nadia Papachronopoulou, Toby Peach, Somalia Seaton and Audrey Sheffield.

The participants, who were drawn from the local community, have started on an intensive programme across 20 sessions to develop their acting skills.

The six new and original pieces created from the project will be performed in the satellite venues in the Tricycle’s annual week-long festival in Spring, a first for the theatre.

With funding from Brent Council, The Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation, John Lyons and Arts Council England, it has allowed attendance at all six theatre companies to be completely free of charge, so the companies are fully accessible and open to all.

Indhu Rubasingham, artistic director of the Tricycle Theatre, said: “Today more than ever it is vital for us to give young people a voice and a platform to be heard. The work our young companies produce will tell us what matters to them, what’s on their mind and how they view the world today.

“We want to make a commitment to work with young people from across Brent, engage with people in their community and to form lasting relationships.”