Children and young people

Alexandra Palace’s Young Actors Company is preparing for its inaugural performance in the palace’s theatre next Wednesday (6 July).

The company, the first of its kind in Alexandra Palace’s 150-year history, is made up of 26 actors aged between 18 and 24, all based in Haringey, the neighbouring boroughs and wider London.

The programme offers young actors an opportunity to develop their skills, experience and careers in a professional setting, by taking part in training and delivering performances alongside the palace’s creative and technical teams, as well as masterclasses from industry guests.

Director of the first show Fragments, Jolley Gosnold, said it feels “incredible” to be part of the palace’s first in-house actors company.

“I’d encourage anyone with a love of performance and theatre to join us on the 6 July. It’s an amazing opportunity to see this genuinely talented and creative new Company take to the stage in the magnificent setting of the Alexandra Palace Theatre.”

The Young Actors Company programme will last a year, before inviting applicants to audition and form the next company. 

Following approval from the Privy Council, Plymouth College of Art has been granted full university status and formally recognised with the new title of Arts University of Plymouth. 

Plymouth’s specialist arts university was founded in 1856 as Plymouth Drawing School and operates two city centre campuses for over 1,750 students. As a university, it will offer a range of undergraduate, postgraduate and pre-degree courses spanning art, design and digital media.

“Achieving full university status is just our latest evolution in over 160 years of leading specialist arts education in the South West and internationally,” said Professor Paul Fieldsend-Danks, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of Arts University Plymouth. 

“Our vision for Arts University Plymouth is a new kind of art school for the 21st century, preparing graduates who are uniquely placed to provide creative solutions to the complex problems faced by modern society, spanning everything from the acceleration of new technologies to the global challenges facing healthcare, sustainability and the climate emergency.”

Higher and Further Education Minister Michelle Donelan said that the granting of full university status “is fully deserved and an historical moment for the city of Plymouth”.
 
“With this new status, I am confident that Arts University Plymouth will continue to help make dreams come true and equip graduates for a career in the creative industries whilst providing a blueprint for success to other creative providers,” she added.

DCMS, the Department for Education and the Department of Health and Social Care have jointly announced new music and sport initiatives to support children’s development. 

More than £100m will be used to increase opportunities across the country for children to study music and learn instruments.

Capital funding worth £25m will be given to schools to purchase an estimated 200,000 new musical instruments, including adapted instruments for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities.

Schools will also be asked to offer at least one hour of music teaching a week in the curriculum for key stages 1-3 as part of the launch of a new National Plan for Music Education, with £79 million made available every year until 2025 for the Music Hubs programme.

The plan also includes providing teachers and young people with guidance on how to progress a career in music.

“Music can transform lives – so it is vital that music education does not become the preserve of a privileged few and is available to everyone, regardless of their background,” said Chief Executive of UK Music Jamie Njoku-Goodwin.

“Continued investment in music education is vital if we want to unlock the huge creative potential of young people and level up opportunities across the country.”

Additional initiatives in the National Plan for Music Education include steps to further develop instrument and music teaching, a pilot to improve music progression in disadvantaged areas and the roll-out of an inclusion strategy in every music hub area.

The National Theatre is expanding its Speak Up programme to work with some 140,000 young people from 55 secondary schools across the next three years.

The programme sees school pupils working with local artists and teachers to co-create artistic responses to issues that are important to them, with the aim of developing young people’s self-expression, wellbeing and personal skills.

The expansion follows a successful pilot phase that began last Autumn and is made possible after a £3.3m grant from the Mohn Westlake Foundation to deliver the project in areas of low arts engagement.

The National Theatre’s Artistic Director Rufus Norris says Speak Up is a crucial part of the theatres work in levelling up, “giving agency to young people nationwide whose voices often go unheard”.

“This innovative model will empower young people to share their views on current issues and put them at the heart of the creative process,” he added.

A Scottish theatre company has launched a new initiative to help disabled people get involved with performing arts.

Cutting Edge Theatre, based in Edinburgh, has received funding from the ScottishPower Foundation for its Inspire Disability Arts programme.

The theatre company said the programme will establish a clear pathway into theatre for those of primary school age all the way to professional training and employment.

Suzanne Lofthus, artistic director at Cutting Edge Theatre, said: “It’s about offering equal access to the performing arts. I was able to do drama at school and then join a youth theatre.

“People with disabilities should have the same access I had, whether they want to pursue a career in theatre or just take a class for fun.

“When I started to look to see where in Scotland learning-disabled people could train in performing arts in a supported environment with their peers, the answer is almost nowhere.

“This award from the ScottishPower Foundation means we can start to change that.”

The Welsh Government is investing £1m over the next five years to support the relaunch of the Urdd’s national youth theatre.

Urdd is Wales’ largest national youth organisation and its theatre, Cwmni Theatr Ieuenctid Cymru, was set up in the 1970s to provide 14 to 19-year olds creative opportunities in Welsh.

The theatre ceased to operate in 2019 but will return to coincide with Urdd’s centenary celebrations this year.

The Urdd Eisteddfod, a national music competition and festival, also returns this year after a three-year hiatus, with free entry after the Welsh Government provided ringfenced funding.

Director of the Urdd Eisteddfod and the Arts Siân Eirian said the youth theatre has offered unique opportunities to thousands of Wales’ youngsters interested in theatre.

“We see the need today more than ever, due to the impact of Covid, to provide equal opportunities and invaluable training for our young adults who want to pursue a career in the arts, and the re-establishment of our youth theatre will offer that at a national level.”