update report - Winter 2024
As the year draws to a close, Graham and I reflect on the remarkable journey we've shared with you. Your unwavering support has enabled theatre works! to ignite the imaginations of countless young people through the transformative power of live theatre. Together, we've built a dynamic team and are developing educational materials that enrich each theatre experience, guiding children to envision new possibilities for their futures.
Let's hear from the most important voices—our young audience members. After attending The Boys at the Back of the Class, they shared:
‘It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity as it was free and enjoyable—it was my first time at the theatre! I enjoyed and liked very much the story. My favourite part was how you guys introduced different characters from different countries and cultures, not just white British’
‘The acting was very good, and I liked how our parents didn’t need to pay. The lighting was very nice, and I would love for another trip there. I have learnt a lot about refugees, and I hope to go again.’
These heartfelt reflections remind us why we do what we do. With your help, theatre works! creates magical moments that open new doors for children who might never otherwise experience the theatre.
We’re thrilled to announce two exciting new collaborations: one with UK organisation Get Into Theatre, which provides TikTok and other short-form videos to introduce young people to theatre careers, and another with TYA (Theatre for Young Audiences), which can help us introduce our work to theatres across the US. By working with partners, we can reach many more people as well as strengthening the resources we offer them.
Based on the £6,500/$8,000 support for our Education fund we have received so far, Lucy Bellingham, our part-time Education Coordinator, has started work on creating workshop materials to send to teachers. One of Lucy’s modules will be on designing and making theatre sets, and in this edition we feature Lucy's Shoebox Theatre project. She hosts a competition that uses recycled materials to teach stage design. Check out the winning entries here. The designs made us smile, and we hope it brightens your day as well. Our target is to raise £30,000/$40,000 to fund this project for three years so please donate and help us reach our goal.
We're delighted to welcome Suzanne Ross as our new Treasurer. Suzanne brings invaluable expertise from her time as Finance Director of Cheltenham Festivals. Meanwhile, Graham steps into the role of Operations Director after three years of overseeing our finances—he has made a pivotal contribution to where we are today. Together with Lucy, our growing team is ready to take theatre works! to new heights. Keep reading for further detail of how Lucy will be enriching children’s theatre experience, but in the meantime you can meet both Suzanne and Lucy here.
This holiday season, your generosity can go even further. Up to 31st December, all donations will be matched up to a value of £10,000 in the UK and $10,000 in the US. Every gift will help us bring theatre to disadvantaged children and fund our vital education programs. Please contribute to our Education campaign and core funding here.
Thank you for being part of this incredible journey. Together, we're sparking dreams and opening new doors for disadvantaged young people.
Wishing you a joyful holiday season,
Sharon
Chair, theatre works!
Meet Our New Partners
Our new theatre works! partners, Get Into Theatre and TYA make the world of theatre more accessible to disadvantaged young people.
Why should a young person consider a career in theatre? And how on earth do they get their foot in the door? UK organisation Get Into Theatre is brimming with expert information and advice for the next generation of actors, sound technicians, writers or make-up artists. Just take a look at these inspirational videos from Jatinder and Lauren. We are delighted to build this material into the resources we offer young people.
We’re always keen to connect with theatres who encourage more young people into their world. In the US, TYA represents a fantastic network allowing theatre works! to do just that. Representing over 1,200 theatres, organisations and individual artists across 47 states, TYA is a dynamic community dedicated to ensuring that all young people have access to high-quality theatre experiences. We look forward to working with its high-energy CEO Sara Morgulis to build a relationship with these theatres.
Education, Education, Education
The ability to wrap an educational component around every theatre trip is so in tune with theatre works! core mission – to make theatre more accessible for disadvantaged children and young people – that we didn’t want to lose any time. That’s why, even before we hit our fundraising target, we have welcomed Lucy Bellingham to the team. She’s already deploying her experience and passion to drive forward this educational initiative.
With Lucy’s input, the experience starts even before children arrive at the theatre. The “Be The Detective” teachers’ module is designed to get children excited about the show, flagging up what to look for in the performance, highlighting key roles and introducing ideas such as genre. Lucy will also create an after-show module designed to spark debate and discussion about what the children have just seen. It’s an approach that ties in perfectly with the UK education community’s growing emphasis on the “fourth R”, oracy: an ability to analyse ideas, build informed opinions and express ideas.
We’re so excited to be able to offer schools this wonderful resource that allows theatre works! to maximise the lasting benefit of a young person’s theatre trip. But we need your support for our Education Fund to sustain this momentum.
The Perfect Match
Whether you’re able to give a large or small amount, it’s so important to know that your donation is having the biggest possible impact. Thousands of disadvantaged children and young people have their first theatre experience because of your donation. We’re delighted to be able to announce a new match-funding programme. A very generous theatre works! supporter has pledged to match all donations received up to December 31 up to a value of £10,000 in the UK and $10,000 in the US. In short, the value of any donation you make to theatre works! during this period will be automatically DOUBLED.
When you go to the Donations page, UK supporters can choose either the Core Fund or the Education Fund, or you could split your donation between the two funds. For US supporters, there is only one button as all funds go through the US foundation, Chapel & York. We will reach out to our US donors and ask how they would like their funds split.
So please, if you’ve been planning to make a donation or were worried that you couldn’t spare enough to make a real impact, there’s absolutely no better time to help us. Every donation makes a difference. Whether you’re one of our many friends in the US or UK, click here to make double the difference to disadvantaged children.
PS
If you’re one of our UK supporters, did you know that theatre works! is part of the Easyfundraising scheme? As peak Christmas shopping season hits, it’s worth remembering that over 8,000 participating brands including John Lewis, Tesco and eBay will automatically donate a percentage of your online shop to theatre works! when you access their website via the Easyfundraising platform. Take a look here for more information about a simple way to support us that doesn’t cost a penny extra. We couldn’t ask for a better Christmas present.
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