Banbridge girl to perform for Games crowds

Ciara McGrath, 21, who attends Nitty Gritty Theatre Company, will jet across the Irish Sea on July 12 to begin training for three performance days, when she will showcase her talents in front of a bustling city centre.

She will join 18 other young people from NI aged 16-25 to prepare for their upcoming trip to Glasgow, where they will be taking part in this year’s Glasgow Commonwealth Culture 2014 programme.

It’s all a dream come true for the local girl.

“I can’t wait to meet new people from different countries that I wouldn’t normally have the chance to perform with. To be a part of the Commonwealth Games in this way is beyond anything I could have imagined,” she said.

“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for us to work with industry professionals and perform in new spaces.”

The young people will form the International Performing Company, part of the National Theatre of Scotland’s The Tin Forest festival. Caira were selected among only 90 young people from all over the Commonwealth, including Jamaica, India, Malta and New Zealand. The International Performing Company will bring the streets of Glasgow to life with a series of pop-art and travelling performance pieces from Monday 21 to Wednesday 23 July.

Amy McKelvey, Chairperson of Ulster Association of Youth Drama, the lead body working in Northern Ireland to support and promote youth theatre for young people, said: “Not only will Ciara learn a great deal from working with two prestigious organisations, The National Theatre of Scotland and Scottish Youth Theatre, she will also meet and collaborate with young people from across the Commonwealth. We’re passionate about supporting youth drama and this project will give these young people an important platform to perform to an international audience.”

Check out the UAYD website www.uayd.co.uk or Facebook www.facebook.com/UAYD1 as participants will be blogging about their experiences before and after the event.