Tring Park School & The Share Foundation Launch Performing Arts Course for Young People in Care

The Share Foundation, in partnership with Tring Park School for the Performing Arts and the Rothschild Foundation, has launched a first-of-its-kind online performing arts video course to provide young people in care aged 13-17 with an accessible introduction to the performing arts. The programme encourages young people to try a variety of different disciplines such as dance, acting, singing and backstage technical skills.

With arts enrichment widely known to provide lifelong benefits such as building confidence, well-being and resilience, this programme offers an incredible opportunity for some of the most disadvantaged young people in the UK and is accessible for free through the local authorities that sign up. There are already thirteen local authorities set to offer the Stepping Forward programme across England, with many more already in talks with a view to providing it to their young people imminently.

In 2022/23, there were approximately 107,000 children in care in the UK, an increase of 8 per cent in the last five years.  Stepping Forward will run alongside The Share Foundation’s already successful incentivised learning scheme, the Stepladder Plus life skills programme, for young people in care aged 15-17 years. The new course was created in collaboration with leading vocational school Tring Park School for the Performing Arts and produced by media company Particle6, and will not only work to support personal development but also connect young people in care to a wider network of performing arts resources and organisations at a local level.

Scripts and filming for the six-step online programme were completed with guidance from a focus group of inspirational young people in care and an advisory group chaired by Andy Wright OBE, Trustee for West Midlands Children in Care Foundation, Chair of ARC and ASCL Council Members. Key elements of the programme include an introduction to performing arts, delving deeper into the four different disciplines, gaining hands-on experience through workshops and an in-depth discussion on backstages roles. Those taking part will be able to earn up to £200, with £25 on offer for each stage completed and a bonus of £50 for full completion of all six steps. The course can also count towards the Arts Award qualification for those also studying this.

A group of eight young people in care have been trialling the course since January. Khia, one of the young people involved in the trial explains: ‘Being part of the Stepping Forward course trial phase has been an amazing experience for me. It’s given me the chance to express myself through the performing arts and discover talents I didn’t know I had. The support and encouragement has really boosted my confidence and I am excited to continue the course and discover even more skills I can use for the future.’

Featuring notable performers such as, Zoe Lister (Hollyoaks, The Worst Witch), Pandora Christie (Heart Radio), Mo Jamil (The Voice UK), and soprano Jennifer France, the course brings these industry experts together. Artists speak in the ‘In Conversation With….’ section of the course, where they each discuss their individual journeys to becoming performing arts professionals, and share their own care experience. There are a series of brilliantly engaging short videos, exclusive professional lead workshops, quizzes, opinion-seeking questions to help the young people develop ideas and lots of useful resources, including how those studying the course can take their performing arts skills further.

Emeka Sesay, a successful actor who has starred in Top Boy and The Power, and is a care leaver himself, explains why he was keen to get involved in this initiative: ‘I am thrilled to be part of the Stepping Forward course because I truly believe in the transformative power of the performing arts. Growing up, the arts provided me with a sense of purpose and confidence, and I want to share that experience with young people in care. This course is a fantastic opportunity for them to explore their own creativity and discover new possibilities for their future.’

Gavin Oldham OBE, Chair of Trustees at The Share Foundation, commented: ‘We are delighted with how the course trial has been going and are confident that it will provide a strong accompaniment to our Stepladder Plus programme. Incentivised learning has already been shown to provide a real attitudinal transformation as young people progress through our programmes. We believe adding this element to Stepping Forward will be crucial in engaging with young people in care due to the confidence and sense of enjoyment that the performing arts provide. We encourage local authorities with an interest in expanding their existing performing arts initiatives and the transferable skills gained thereby to contact us, so we can work together to help these young people fully embrace the benefits on offer.’

Simon Larter-Evans, Principal of Tring Park School for the Performing Arts, said: ‘We take great pride in our partnership on this project and are hopeful that it will contribute to a future where every young person, regardless of their background, has the opportunity to engage with and benefit from power of the performing arts.’

Please visit www.sharefound.org/steppingforward for more information, or watch the introductory video at youtu.be/yKDBr5xMtDY.