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STEP UP
Swinging into 2014
Croydon’s entry in the 2014 London New Year’s Day
parade was awarded joint 6th place in the London
boroughs’ competition, earning a £2,000 prize for the
Mayor’s charities.
Members of Croydon Youth Theatre Organisation
(CYTO) braved the weather to showcase the borough to a
live audience of hundreds of thousands and a global TV
audience of millions.
They joined 8,500 other performers who had travelled
to London from across the world to walk, march and dance
the 2.2 mile route from The Ritz to Parliament Square.
The Croydon entry celebrated youth culture both
present and past, with current and former members of the
theatre company telling stories of young people who lived
in the borough in the swinging 60s. This decade was the
theme of the parade and was also when CYTO was
formed.
The theatre group is now amongst London's oldest
established performing arts companies for young people.
Packed with colourful characters and original sound
recordings, the Croydon presentation featured swing
dance performances and a special guest appearance
from one of the borough's most famous 60s exports, the
Trojan Bubble Car.
Manufactured in a factory on the Purley Way, the
little three-wheeler became an icon of British design and an
example is on display in the Museum of Croydon.
Councillor Tim Pollard said, said: "The weather didn’t
stop Croydon's entry from looking great. Everyone who
helped out and got soaking wet on the day deserves
enormous thanks. Croydon got some great publicity from
our unique entry, and getting a prize was an added bonus."
‘The theatre group is
now amongst London's
oldest established
performing arts
companies for young
people.’