MEMBERS of Burnley Youth Theatre are looking forward to welcoming three acclaimed artists from Singapore to the town as part of the Commonwealth Games festivities.

The trio will take up a three week residency as part of Cultureshock, a ground-breaking arts programme in the North West.

Burnley Youth Theatre has received £16,000 from the Regional Arts Lottery Programme towards the event, in May and June.

Kawan, pronounced ka (as in 'cat') wan, means 'friendship' in Malay and places have already been snapped up as people are expected to travel from across the UK for the event.

Besides being a major project for the region, Kawan will provide a unique opportunity for many people to experience the diverse and vibrant cultures of South East Asia through an array of performances, workshops and training events.

Sally Smith, from the theatre, said: "This is also the first major cross-cultural event involving young people in Burnley since the town's disturbances last summer.

"Burnley Youth Theatre played a large part in the work done by the Burnley Task Force and Kawan will see young people from all ethnic backgrounds in East Lancashire participating in South Asian arts together. "

The project kicks off on May 16 when the three Singaporean artists, Jean Ng, Khairuddin Bin Hori and Elizabeth de Roza arrive in the UK.

Workshops with schools and community groups take place between May 20 and 30 -- and judging by the speed places were snapped are sure to be a success.

The workshops are £20 for the day including lunch and refreshments.

Burnley Youth Theatre is celebrating Kawan and the Commonwealth Games by theming the whole of their April-June term around South East Asia.

Young people between eight and 18 also have a unique opportunity to take part in Bersama (meaning 'together' in Malay) as part of Kawan.

This takes place Wednesday 5 to Saturday 8 June (half term) and culminates in a performance at Burnley Mechanics.

Workshops and rehearsals in drama, dance and music will be led by three British artists and three artists from Singapore. Participants will be split into three groups. The course costs £20 and tickets for the performance cost £2.

For further details about any aspect of Kawan or to book a place on the workshops or training days, please contact Burnley Youth Theatre on 01282 427767 or email byt4@aol.com or check out the website www.geocities.com/

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