Christchurch Youths Set to Shake Up Comedy Scene

Christchurch Youths Set to Shake Up Comedy Scene

Thanks to White Elephant Trust and Grandpa Figs, the youth of Chch can finally follow their dream of becoming stand up comedians. Starting as monthly workshops run by local radio announcer and stand up comedian Snap presented by RuseWebsites, Chch Youth Comedy hopes to become a weekly event with guest tutors from around the country and once monthly public performances. Chch has a solid record when it comes to producing stand up talent, Tim Batt, Justine Smith, The Rubberband Boy, to name a few, and there is no doubt that a youth program will help us keep punching above our weight in the comedy scene.

White Elephant has a strong history of youth engagement, formed in 2006 by a group of 6 young aspiring Dj's with the aim of supporting positive youth development in Christchurch. Back then most of their activities were based around dance music events for young people. Since then, White Elephant has gone from strength to strength. They’ve taken on the hosting of the Otautahi Youth Council, survived the September 4thearthquake (though their building did not) and partnered with the Student Volunteer Army to lead the post quake clean up. White Elephant's current focus is on running WE HQ, Christchurch's premier space for young people running and participating in events and activities.

Grandpa Figs is a comedy management and promotion company who manage and act as agents for a large chunk of the Chch comedy scene, as well as producing regular shows in Chch. The company has a big focus on growing the local scene with a belief that Chch comedy can grow to a point where comedians don’t need to move to Wellington or Auckland to make a living.

ENDS

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