TAUNTON'S youth, culture and arts festival (TYCA) featured more than 200 young people performing across four stages to an audience of hundreds during the course of the day.

The event took place in Somerset Square and Taunton Brewhouse, acts including circus skills, aerial acrobats, drama, dance, music, spoken word, street art and graffiti.

There were also free workshops on puppetry, aerial and creative art.

The Dreamers stage saw a number of musicians and even Taunton Mayor Cllr Nick O’Donnell was dancing to Totem DJs collectives set.

The Brewhouse stage was in full use and the gallery was packed with more than 300 pieces of art created by young people in the run-up to the festival.

The festival is funded by local charity Arts Taunton and lead trustee is Julie O’Donnell.

She said: "Arts Taunton is proud to have delivered our fifth TYCA festival, such a unique and exciting event, for young people and by young people.

"The incredible creative and organisational talents of the youth of Taunton and surrounding areas is there to be tapped and showcased, and in coming years we hope to build on the enormous success of this year’s festival whereby hundreds watched a huge range of performances.

“We couldn’t have held TYCA without funding and we must pay tribute to the local council, ACE and the Brownsword Foundation in particular who have been staunch supporters.

“Any young person age five to 25 who hopes to be involved in any capacity next year, get in touch with us by emailing hello@artstaunton.co.uk - preparation for the 2024 festival will begin shortly.”

Through TYCA, Arts Taunton pays professional artists to work with young people to give them the skills and experience to develop their talents.

Festival director Jackie Clementines said: “It was incredibly special to see so many inspiring, up-and-coming artist performing on the same day."

As part of Tyca’s commitment to putting young people in the driving seat of the festival, the charity formed a youth board, with young people able to contribute to the shaping of the festival and its running.

Board member Madi, who made announcements and introductions on the day, said: “It was an incredible event celebrating the talent of local young artists that are soon to take the world by storm.”

On Tuesday, July 11, at The SPACE, Taunton, young people from Bishop Fox’s, Court Fields and Kingsmead Schools will perform at TYCA’s school theatre festival.