In a nail-biting Pop Idol-style audition process, Lewisham's Young Mayor, Miguel Gutierrez Astudillo, and his panel of experts, hand picked the best local acts to perform on his stage at Lewisham's Silver Jubilee People's Day 2009.
The Young Mayor and his panel selected acts from 300 young performers, all eager for the chance to star in south east London's largest and most exciting community festival.
The People's Day youth auditions, for under 25 year olds, were held at the Broadway Theatre, on Thursday 9 April 2009. Some performers who auditioned were as young as four years old.
Each act was judged on its overall presentation, the quality of its performance and the suitability of the act for the festival. Twenty-two acts auditioned in total.
All of the acts chosen from the audition process will perform on the Young Mayor's stage at People's Day on 11 July 2009.
The Young Mayor will be funding his stage from his £25,000 budget and will give all the successful acts their chance to shine.
The list of successful youth acts chosen to perform on the Young Mayor’s stage at Lewisham’s Silver Jubilee People’s Day 2009 is:
- Captive' Dance Group from Bellingham Gateway Youth and Community Centre
- Rrkidz Dance Group from Sydenham
- Inspire Youth Dance Company from Catford - three acts of varying age groups: 9-13 years old, 13-19 years old intermediate and 13-19 years old advanced group
- Darbuka Turkish Drum Group from Catford
- The Turkish Folk and Oriental Dance group from Catford
- J's Dance Factory Groups from Catford
- Project S Dance Group from Woolwich who perform authentic African dance with some of the latest street moves
- Bizzman, a 21 year old rapper from Woolwich who raps about life in a light hearted manner
- NRGene Dance Group from Grove Park Youth Club
- Alright Dance Crew from Catford
- Abyss Street Dancers from Catford
- Vortex Street Dancers from Catford
- S.O.G. (Symbols Of Greatness) - three MCs from Lewisham who previously featured on a special episode of the hit TV series Pimp My Ride
- Torcharah and Kingpin, two rappers from Woolwich who perform a mixture of spoken word and rap
- Myself UK Dance from Catford
- Total Synergy, an 'RnB' singer from Lewisham, with contemporary street dancers as backing
- Unknown Street Dancers from New Cross
- Urban Maestro Music Group from Lewisham - the group consists of three MCs aged 16 years old from Northbrook CE school. The group has previously been interviewed on Radio One Xtra by Tim Westwood.
Recorded clips from the youth auditions can be viewed on Lewisham Council's YouTube site.