Every penny helps transform disadvantaged young people into produced and published playwrights. Free to PRUs, SEN settings and refugee, carer or mental health support groups, we validate their voices, build vital skills in teamwork and literacy, and make a life-changing boost to self-esteem.
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Beneficiaries
Young people excluded from mainstream education - in PRUs for behavioural/mental health challenges, in SEN settings for complex needs, or holding refugee, carer or disability status - are also denied access to creative outlets, due to sweeping cuts and a focus on so-called 'core' subjects (2024 A New Direction report). Yet these young people also suffer worse wellbeing than their peers (2022 Department of Education survey), so most need the well-proven benefits of creativity (2019 WHO report).
We transform disadvantaged young people into playwrights. They work with award-winning writers to express their stories with freedom, articulating what matters to them. These are performed by leading actors and published in books, with a copy for each writer. Completely free, anyone can take part. Playwriting removes barriers to creativity for young people with complex needs or low literacy, as it emphasises collaboration and improvisation; it grows skills and confidence in those often excluded.
