TAUNTON is all set for a brand new youth arts festival complete with a huge number of different workshops ranging from contemporary dance to songwriting, aerosol art to writing for the theatre.

Arts Taunton unveiled the festival’s name and branding at its public meeting on Tuesday evening (July 2).

The festival has been named the Tyca Festival, and the dynamic new logo will soon be seen across the town.

The logo encapsulates how Arts Taunton hopes the festival will give young people a chance to put a creative stamp on our town.

The festival will run for at least five years, with 2019 as the inaugural year.

The name Tyca stands for Taunton Youth Culture & Arts, and the programme of events will be delivered in partnership with cultural and educational partners from across Taunton.

All workshops are free, and most are open to ages five to 25.

Organisers say the aim of The Tyca Festival is to reach out to all sections of the community; and that ‘diversity and inclusivity are at the heart of its values’.

Deborah Baddoo, the Tyca Festival organiser,said: “We love the branding and name, chosen and designed by local people. We hope the festival will break down barriers between different art forms and communities and offer something new for every young person to try.

“We are heartened by the enormous support of the arts community and professional artists in helping us deliver our programme of events.

“Due to our joint collaboration with many different groups we’re able to offer everything from musical theatre to 3D art to juggling.

“I’m excited about our programme of workshops and performances and look forward to working on the details over the coming months.”

The concept of a five-year festival has been a long-held plan for Arts Taunton.

For the initial year they are choosing to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, to recognise how barriers need to be broken down for new creativity to flow.

Kit Chapman, founder of Arts Taunton,said: “It is now four years since we launched our mission to transform Somerset’s County Town into a major regional centre for arts and culture.

“This great new initiative - a celebration of Taunton’s young people and their creativity - responds to an untapped need which emerged from all the research we have undertaken.

“Tyca is no one-off. Thanks to the enormous generosity of the Brownsword Charitable Foundation, the Festival has been underwritten for at least the next five years.

“In addition, we have been supported financially by our patrons, founding funders, corporate sponsors, the Somerset Community Foundation and by Somerset West and Taunton Council.”

To coincide with the Tyca Festival branding, Arts Taunton is also launching its new website, artstaunton.co.uk