A NEW festival has been launched in Taunton for young people.

Tyca, organised by Arts Taunton, began the festival this year in the hope it will grow over the coming years. The festival includes everything from acrobatics to 3D art and graffiti to hip hop.

Arts Taunton is proud to announce a Gala Evening with Sir Tim Rice on Thursday 31 October. The concert will launch the Tyca Festival, which takes place November 1 until 3 2019.

The evening will include some of Sir Tim’s most famous songs performed by youth choirs from Somerset. The music will be coordinated by the Centre for Young Musicians Taunton, a division of the Guildhall School of Music. Sir Tim will be interviewed live in front of a packed audience and the evening will start at 6pm and finish at roughly 7:30pm.

They are also undertaking an ambitious written and spoken word project focusing on environmental issues, inspired by Lost Words, a book of poetry written by Robert MacFarlane and beautifully illustrated by Jackie Morris. It highlights the words from nature we are losing from the English language and the growing gulf between childhood and the natural world.

Arts Taunton will create an anthology of work from primary school children during workshops in October and then selected poems will be read and presented at St James Church on October 24.

There will be discussion and debate with young people on environmental issues and a talk by a young eco-warrior.

The founding members of Mammoth Sound System grew up around Taunton. Dissatisfied with the lack of variety in Taunton’s nightlife, tired of hearing chart music all night long they wanted to put on an event which was completely different to anything Taunton had ever seen or heard before.

They will be taking over the Creative Innovation Centre on Saturday, November 2, as will be joined by a DJ spinning Drum n Bass and Hip Hop, guest rappers, DJs and other artists including ex-alumni of Richard Huish – ‘LOL’.

To find out more visit www.artstaunton.co.uk/tyca