Theatre launches arts education programme to provide way into work

A NEW arts education programme for young people is being set up by the Kenton Theatre in Henley.

The New Street venue is to offer the opportunity for children and young people aged five to 18 to achieve the Arts Award.

The programme is accredited by Trinity College London and is part of a national scheme initiated by Arts Council England.

Participants will learn about the running of a working theatre and everything that goes into putting on a professional production.

There will be opportunities to learn about script writing, light and sound, costume design, stage make-up and marketing.

The course is due to start in September and it will be split over three terms of 10 weeks.

The programme at the Kenton has been funded with help from a £5,000 grant from South Oxfordshire District Council, which the theatre received last month.

Children participating in the programme, which will take place at the theatre after school on Mondays, will have the option of enrolling on to the Arts Award course. Theatre manager Lottie Pheasant said: “I think it’s really important for all young people in Henley not only to have access to a working theatre but to have that appreciation and exposure to all elements of theatrical arts.

“I think it’s going to be a really well-rounded programme, and it will be interesting as a lot of children just don’t know what you can do, particularly on the production side.

“I hope that this will be a wonderful way into the industry for some people but, for those who aren’t aspiring to do that, they are still gaining skills for life.”

The Arts Award is split into five different levels, discover, explore, bronze, silver and gold with each one aimed at a different age group. Any art form, from music to mime, dance, poetry to pottery, can be undertaken as part of the course.

Similar to the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, participants create a personal “arts log” or portfolio of their experiences, which provides evidence of them taking part in arts activities.

At the end of the programme run by the Kenton, participants will work to put together an end-of-year showcase and will be invited to an awards ceremony.

Ms Pheasant said: “They will cover the whole concept of what it takes to produce and deliver a show.

“They will have access to the technical side of things and the backstage but also the marketing side of things and will have sessions about how the box office works and the front of house. Once a year we'll also be taking groups of them to watch a show at the theatre and do a review of it.”

The cost of the course has not yet been finalised but Ms Pheasant said that the theatre intended to offer financial support to ensure that it was accessible.

The theatre is currently looking for a freelancer to help develop the programme before it starts in the autumn as well as sponsors to support the running of it and enable it to offer bursaries.

Tara Macleod, who chairs the theatre’s board of trustees, said it had been an aim to launch the programme for some time.

She said: “It makes the theatre accessible to everyone from a very early age and I think it will help with their personal development, their creativity, their mental health and sense of belonging.

“We have a responsibility to educate and, while we’ve been doing that through our programming, we’ve never developed an educational programme for the arts. So, this is a big step for us forward in terms of fulfilling our responsibilities and we’re very excited about it.”