Ben Kelly Headlines SouthWestFest Gala Day, June 23

DreamArts today announced that Ben Kelly will be performing with 60 members for thousands of people attending SouthWestFest Gala Day on Saturday 23 June 2012.

DreamArts, the charity which creates opportunities for inner city young people to learn through the creative arts, runs a weekend company in which a hundred children and young people from deprived areas of Westminster can shine.

22-year-old Ben Kelly from Northern Ireland wowed the coaches in BBC’s The Voice in his Blind Audition with a powerful performance of Elton John’s ‘Rocket Man’, accompanying himself on the keyboard. All four turned their chairs. He picked Jessie J. Ben first found recognition with his home videos on YouTube, which gathered nearly 1 million viewers while he was still a student at UCL, and has a strong background in musical theatre.

Ben said “I am proud to be working with a project like DreamArts, which offers not just a productive outlet, but a great introduction to the arts for the young people of Westminster...and hopefully nurturing a few stars of the future”.

Described by the British Theatre Guide as London’s leading youth arts company, “at DreamArts young people are at the heart of what we do” explained Artistic Director Graham Whitlock. “Our members have immense raw talent, but come from disadvantaged communities facing tough challenges, especially in the current climate. DreamArts unlocks their potential through the arts so they can achieve in all areas of their lives, and performing with Ben at SouthWestFest will be an inspirational experience”.

SouthWestFest is Westminster’s biggest community festival, involving 10,000 people who live and work in SW1. This year 5 weeks of festivities include Pimlico Proms, a Carnival parade themed OlymPimlico, outdoor theatre, river cruises, comedy nights, and It’s A Knockout.

Festival Chair and born-and-bred SW1 resident Jane Buttigieg said “The Festival has something for everyone, and it’s great that local young people working with DreamArts will be performing with a talent like Ben”.

Details: SouthWestFest Gala Day, St George’s Square Garden, SW1V 3QW, on Saturday 23 June between 12pm and 6pm. Ben Kelly and DreamArts will be performing at 2pm.

Photographs of Ben with youngsters at the Festival are available upon request.
For further information on DreamArts visit www.dreamarts.org.uk or call 07930 606 210
For information on SouthWestFest visit www.southwestfest.org.uk.

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