Saturday 23 June 2018 will see Perth celebrating the Year of Young People 2018 (YOYP2018) in spectacular style with a day-long event putting young people aged eight to 26 in the spotlight.
The Diverse CiTay Festival is supported by the Year of Young People 2018 event fund, managed by EventScotland, part of VisitScotland's Event Directorate. The day will highlight the best of Perth and Kinross, with an exciting mix of music, theatre, art, culture, sport, health and wellbeing as well as highlighting young entrepreneurs between 12.30pm and 10pm at various locations around the city centre. Diverse CiTay has been co-produced by local young people with support from local bodies and organisations.
In Perth Diverse CiTay will be a celebration of Perth and Kinross's young residents and visitors, highlighting the importance of young people to the future of our city, our region and our economy.
The festival kicks off at 12.30pm with a carnival parade with a colourful, vibrant display of floats, vehicles, dance troupes and bands will head from the South Inch along Tay Street to the North Inch park, where the North Inch Carnival will run from 1pm to 4.30pm, with a vibrant mix of performers, entertainment and activities.
The Music Stage at the Carnival will be hosted by dance music giant Ministry of Sound, with sets from the House & Garage Orchestra, as seen on 1Xtra's Live Lounge, and very special guests Jack Maynard and Karen Harding. Also appearing on the Music Stage will be Dundee pop band Be Charlotte and Scottish singer-songwriter Mikey. Alongside this, there will be plenty of other things to enjoy including a funfair, inflatables, a bike stunt team, and much more.
If keeping healthy and active is more your thing, then the Perth College UHI Sports, Healthy & Wellbeing villages are for you! A range of sports from volleyball to archery, as well as a chill-out area and access to wellbeing activities and health advice, such as relaxation and meditation, and smoking cessation information, will be on offer.
Just a short walk away, between 5pm and 10pm, the Mill Street Youth Market will give young creators and business operators an opportunity to demonstrate their entrepreneurial spirit and creativity, offering a range of goods and services for sale, accompanied by food stalls, busking musicians, and a climbing wall. Local young musicians and bands will be featured on the Music Stage in the Horsecross plaza, with performances from Parliamo, Stop the Rain, Saharatheband and singer-songwriter Mikey, and DJ sets from Wize.
Nearby Perth Museum and Art Gallery will feature exhibitions created by local young people, focussing on the centenary of the end of World War One, and on self-image and identity. The exhibitions are free to attend and open from 10am to 5pm. Perthshire Creates' Summer Contemporary Design Market will also be held on the same day, in the Civic Hall at 2 High Street, Perth, presenting the best of locally produced arts and crafts between 10am and 4.30pm.
At the other end of Mill Street, a Youth Takeover of Perth Theatre will see a diverse range of free workshops, activities and events between 10am and 9.30pm. Fancy finding out more about theatre and stagecraft, or trying your hand at music, crafts or rapping and DJ skills? There's lots on offer, and the Takeover ends with an under 18's After Party, complete with silent disco and local bands performing.
Diverse CiTay Working Group Co-Chairs Robert McCall MSYP and Siusaidh Johnston commented: "In the Year of Young People 2018, we were keen to see a day that celebrates the achievements, ambition and interests of young people in Perth and Kinross. With the support of Perth & Kinross Council, Perth College UHI, Horsecross Arts and Culture Perth and Kinross, Diverse CiTay has been developed and co-produced by young people locally. There is so much going on in Perth city centre on Saturday 23 June that it would be a shame to miss it! If you live in Perth and Kinross and are aged eight to 26, please get involved and make it an incredible day for us all!"
Further information about the Diverse CiTay Festival and how you can get involved is available from the Perth City Centre website, perthcity.co.uk.