Youth Action

Youth Action is a great organisation dedicated to helping young people realise their potential — regardless of background. Their youth arts group — the Rainbow Factory — is the side of the business I have most knowledge of, having had some friends at school be part of it. It was a great group, run really professionally that really does foster the talent of young people, so Youth Action as a whole are definitely doing a good job.

I’ve seen the Rainbow Factory change young peoples’ lives, taking them from ghetto areas and training them in dance and drama and ultimately giving them a new meaning and purpose. Many of the ones I know who went to RF are now professional dancers. These were young people who had completely fallen through the cracks of the education system and whose futures seemed bleak until they met RF. Can’t speak highly enough of RF as a result; they’re doing a great job.

This is a very well-​known name in Belfast, and is best known as the Rainbow Factory, which are a group that stage musical and drama productions with young people who are interested in dance and drama in Northern Ireland. Not that long ago, I went to see their production of the «Wizard of Oz», which was really very good. The theatre was quite unusual I thought, being quite a modern shape, with the seating almost hugging the stage in an sort of semi circle, with a higher balcony for seating also. This was also where they operated the light and sound and had the band seated. There isn’t much space to hang around during the interval, with it being a small building, but its smart, clean and modern and has all the technical stuff they need to stage their shows in a very professional manner. No parking though.