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Trio of young talent: (l-r) Saibhonne Robertson, Shyla Barclay and Adeola Aboelein, the stars of One Culture

Munich? Pah! Wandsworth is the place to be in October, thanks to the borough's Arts Festival, and Putney Arts Theatre is getting stuck in with a month of exhibitions and shows coming up. More of the art later (it is a theatre first and foremost), as two vastly differing productions will be literally taking the stage over the next few weeks.

Oscar-winning director Anthony Minghella penned Cigarettes and Chocolate, the story of a girl, Gemma, whose inexplicable decision to turn mute leads to some pretty earnest soul-searching among her friends. And the show - a rehearsed reading in the newly revamped studio space - arrives on October 20.

Minghella himself described Cigarettes and Chocolate as "the one piece of writing that I'm most proud of and the most personal piece of writing of mine".

A world away from Minghella and tinseltown is One Culture, a production devised by young people from Battersea's Katherine Low Settlement Drama Group. In conjunction with Abandon Theatre, the three young actors starring in One Culture have been a revelation despite having barely a school play between them.

Emme Stroud, artistic director of Abandon Theatre, says: "In comparison to the actresses you see on television, these three are absolutely streets ahead. It is brilliant to see someone so exceptional at such a young age.

"There is much negative press about kids today, we wanted to say, look these people are amazing, so lets give them a chance and support them. About 10 or 12 young people from Katherine Low inputted into the script and some of them are doing the technical side behind the scenes."

The show reflects their own experiences, infusing a Romeo and Juliet-style story of forbidden love with an urban edge. Emma says that it was the reaction of a local man that summed up One Culture's power: "We put on One Culture at our AGM and this local man, about 65, came up afterwards and said it was fantastic and so true to life. He was very emotional, he said he knew a 14 year-old-girl who had seen her boyfriend stabbed to death - it turned out to be his granddaughter."

Milling around at PAT prior to shows is always a pleasurable experience - especially with the new bar installed - and local artist Linda Samson has her fine oil paintings on show right now, which makes way on October 23 to Treading Softly by Linda Murgatroyd, an exhibition inspired by the natural world.

Another visual feast comes courtesy of Creative Corners, an company which organises voluntary placements to Central and South America for projects which sees volunteers make a travel-documentary, write for a street newspaper, juggle, sing, dance, paint and creatively change lives while traveling abroad. Photography from across the world shows what past volunteers have got up to.

Also coming up is Singfest, which is exactly what it sounds like, with Seamus Cullen (BBC1's Any Dream Will Do) holding a singing workshop to explore your voice and natural tone.

Wandsworth Arts Festival at Putney Arts Theatre, Ravenna Road, SW15 6AW, call 020 8788 6943 or visit putneyartstheatre.org.uk.

1:28pm Thursday 11th October 2007

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