Victoria Hornagold from East Norfolk Sixth Form College joined the NCW team as a Young Ambassador in January 2018.

As an 18-year-old student of English Literature, History and Media, narrowing down just five events from the Norfolk & Norwich Festival 2018 programme that caught my eye the most was a challenge. Below I’ve listed a mixture of things that feel fresh, exciting and thought-provoking.

I try and keep up-to-date on current affairs and how we as the public receive these; documentaries from Stacey Dooley and Trevor McDonald are some of my favourites. Music wise, I mainly listen to RnB artists but have a particular respect for those who combine more rap and ‘grime’ vibes with soul and hip-hop like Childish Gambino, Loyle Carner and Solange. So if any of this resonates with yourself, give the following events a try!

Bad Girls – with Caitlin Davies

‘Angry feminist’ women have been making headlines way before 2018, as shown by Caitlin Davies’ exploration of Holloway Prison – “the largest and most famous women’s prison in Europe until its closure in 2016” – and its inmates. As a young woman in the twentieth century, the stories of how females throughout history have been treated for voicing their opinions and partaking in activities we take for granted today, is a particularly engaging topic (but I’m sure anyone with an interest in criminal history, feminist or not, would find these stories or bravery and strength fascinating).

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Going Nuclear – with Fred Pearce

Since studying the Cold War, nuclear power has been a topic that equally terrifies and captivates me. I know Fred Pearce is one of the leading reporters on popular science (and is currently serving as the environmental consultant for New Scientist magazine), so having someone with so much knowledge in Norwich seems an amazing opportunity to expand my knowledge on where the world of nuclear technology may be heading. Additionally, I find such a subject can be quite intimidating to look into on your own and feel that listening to words as opposed to reading them can sometimes be easier to understand.

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Talk in a Bit – Hannah Silva

Talk in a Bit seems to be one of the most innovative events I found. Poet and playwright Hannah Silva has written a record, but not in the conventional way you think of; it consists of themes on female empowerment, sex, and pain, presented in a combination of spoken and sung words, rhythm, electronics, and percussion that I think would be a truly unique listening experience.

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Binker and Moses

I had never heard of this saxophone-drum duo before, but after seeing they had won a MOBO award in 2015, which has previously honoured some of my favourite albums like Alicia Keys’ Songs in A Minor and Kanye West’s The College Dropout I had to check them out. I was not disappointed! From the videos I have watched, they seem to be two incredibly talented guys so I imagine listening to them live would be even better. Buy tickets >>

Ladysmith Black Mambazo

I have to admit I have never listened to much choral music, but many of my favourite records do intertwine this genre in their songs (notably How Great by Chance the Rapper and Ultralight Beam by Kanye West). Similarly, claiming I love a Capella music would be an exaggeration (meaning I really just love Pitch Perfect and Glee), but with five Grammy awards under their belt, South African male choral group Ladysmith Black Mambazo seem the perfect introduction to the genre.

This event is fully booked. Find out more >>

Norfolk & Norwich Festival runs from 11 – 27 May 2017.

Find out more about the NCW Young Ambassador scheme >>