TAKEOVER 2018 is spreading its wings beyond York Theatre Royal as the young people's festival comes under the umbrella of the inaugural York Mediale.

TakeOver, established under Damian Cruden's artistic directorship at York Theatre Royal, was set up to give theatre practitioners aged up to 26 the opportunity to take over the running and programming of the theatre for a period, gaining valuable work experience and professional industry mentoring.

Now, York Mediale, York's festival of digital media arts, has forged links with TakeOver, and so half the Takeover team are being mentored by the Theatre Royal, half by the new festival.

"We're still based at the Theatre Royal but the marketing in particular has benefited from Mediale, and it's interesting that the two festivals are going on alongside each other from today for ten days, with similarities and differences in our experiences in putting together an event," says TakeOver artistic director Jessy Roberts, a 21-year-old student, from Peterborough, in the third year of her University of York degree in theatre, writing, directing and performance.

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TakeOver 2018 festival director Jessy Roberts

TakeOver 2018 takes the theme of Speak Out. "When I pitched to be the artistic director, I had very strong ideas about what I wanted the festival's vision to be: a year of protest and celebration, against the backdrop of the anti-Trump protests and #MeToo campaign," says Jessy. "I wanted to create a festival that reflected young people's very strong opinions on what's going on today, with all the pieces we've chosen having something important to stay, which really narrowed down our choices."

While TakeOver is always keen to attract audiences both young and older, "it would be wrong if we were not playing to our peer group, with the Brexit voting showing the age divide, and the Theatre Royal's shows tending to appeal to an older age group," says Jessy. "There's a stereotype that young people don't care and don't vote, and this festival aims to prove that's not the case.

"There is anger there...but though there's hostility and protest in some of the writing, there has to be celebration too because otherwise you don't get anything across, so even if the plays are angry, they're angry, funny and engaging."

"Speaking out, loud and proud, and giving the voices of young talent a platform to be heard and celebrated", TakeOver 2018 is supporting emerging York artists, established companies, communities and venues through outreach projects and working with young people through events such as the New Voices day of new writing at SPARK York in Piccadilly on Sunday from 2pm to 7.30pm.

"The pricing makes that day really accessible," says Jessy. "You can spend all day there and see five plays for £12.50 (or £3.50 for one, £8 for three), giving emerging artists a platform in a cool new place."

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A workshop for TakeOver 2018's Home Project

Full details can be found at yorkmediale.com/events/takeover-festival, but among the five plays will be University of York third-year student Rachel Flannagan's Edinburgh Fringe show, One Giant Leap For June, the story of a London chippy frier's desire to be an astronaut, directed by Jessy.

At the core of TakeOver 2018 is Project Home, an interactive installation centred on belonging, created by community groups in York, working in tandem with former University of Hull student and TakeOver associate director Katie Manock, from Markington, near Harrogate. The installation can be seen in the Keregan Room at York Theatre Royal, on Monday to Wednesday from 1pm to 5pm, preceded by a free Project Home craft workshop on Monday from 10.30am to 1pm, when children can "make their own impact on the installation".

"Project Home's workshop and set design piece is a celebration of what 'home' means to young people, and the idea is that they can look at their work being displayed at the Theatre Royal and feel really proud of it," says Jessy. "I think Katie's project is a massive innovation for TakeOver with amazing Outreach work involved, just as the New Voices writing project is really important to this year's festival."

TakeOver 2018 is taking over not only SPARK York and the Keregan Room, but also the De Grey Rooms Ballroom, the Theatre Royal main stage, Central Methodist Church, Friargate Theatre and the Fairfax Room, although Flattered Collective's Change show on October 6 is ironically changing location from the Shambles Food Court to the Keregan Room.

"When we started work on TakeOver 2018, the Theatre Royal was pretty much booked up already, so we were in the same boat as York Mediale, looking for venues," says Jessy. "That's worked out really well."

TakeOver 2018, Speak Out runs from today to October 6. For the full programme and ticket details, visit yorkmediale.com/events/takeover-festival. Box office: 01904 623568 or at yorktheatreroyal.co.uk