We gifted £10,000 to Immediate Theatre through our FOUNDATION fund. The funding went towards the continuation of 1 of their 9 youth theatres. Since 1998 their Estate-based Youth Theatre programme has provided thousands of disadvantaged young people with a space for self-expression, creativity and growth, building skills and self-esteem and bringing communities together.
In August Ellie, Morris and Leone visited Immediate Theatre to watch the dress rehearsal of their performance based on ‘narcissism’ and how the concept may have originated from the ancient Greek mythological story of Narcissus.
The young people were given the spine of the script to follow but added their own modern twist. Their interpretation reflected how modern society mirrors the ancient story, with social media encouraging a focus on self-image and validation. They made the piece exceptionally funny but very informative and professional. The performance was interactive, with the audience moving around the room to the different scenes and timelines from the ancient Greek era to the modern day.
The show was very well put together by the team and you could see how much thought had gone into the 6 different scenes. The SEC team could see how much the young people loved being a part of the group and how well they all worked together.
Immediate Theatre uses the arts to enable community engagement and support the journey of disadvantaged people from being at high risk of disengagement and social isolation.
They run 9 weekly sessions, one of which is exclusively for young disabled people, one for young women and another for young people who are at risk of being excluded from mainstream education.
Immediate Theatre also runs an employability programme, using creative techniques to build confidence and self- esteem, alongside employability skills.
Learn more about Immediate Theatre here – A Stage to Perform – Hackney and East London | Immediate Theatre (immediate-theatre.com)
Follow our FOUNDATION LinkedIn page for more stories and updates on the next wave of funding – LinkedIn
