Project

Photo credit: Andrew Moore

How can you engage young people in the arts in remote rural areas?

This was the question asked by Liz Still, manager of the Bishop’s Castle SpArC Theatre.  South West Shropshire is renowned for being an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty or National Landscape, for its hills, its valleys, its walks and its wildlife.  But it is also known for its lack of local infrastructure, its relative poverty, its minimal public transport and its inaccessibility. The jewel in the crown of this corner of the county is SpArC (Sports and Arts in the Community), with its leisure centre and theatre. Although it is situated next to the Bishop’s Castle Community College, the necessity to take the school bus home to the villages at the end of the educational day often prevents students from using the SpArC’s facilities unless arrangements can be made with parents who have the time and the means to collect them. With the nearest sixth form colleges being twenty miles away, attending the theatre can be even harder.

Over the years, SpArC Theatre has built a reputation for staging varied programmes from live music and performances to streamed productions from the National Theatre and the Royal Opera House to popular films. Whilst appreciated by the older population, the challenge was to attract the younger ones.  There was also a possible concern that, for some people, a theatre might be perceived as something not for them, almost elitist. Once they could get through the doors they would realise the reality.

Liz’s solution, with support from Vibrant Shropshire through funding from the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund, was to run a series of high quality, low cost activities enabling children and young people, particularly from families with limited resources, to engage with culture in meaningful ways. The activities would open their eyes to new experiences, foster creativity, enhance personal growth and break down barriers.

The events included:

• Parkour runs – challenging young people’s physical abilities in a fun and high-energy way, pushing their limits in a safe, supervised environment, not only building strength, coordination and agility, but also developing problem-solving skills, confidence and creativity.
• Dungeons and Dragons – a collaborative role-playing game that fostered creativity, problem-solving and social interaction.
• Craft making workshops – inspired by an animated film the children had just seen.
• Band practice – for budding musicians to rehearse and receive guidance from experienced local musicians.
• Summer art exhibition – encouraging young artists to display their work in the Theatre’s Gallery space to build confidence and nurture aspirations.
• Curriculum support – working with the College to increase students’ engagement with the theatre and screening films and theatre productions that support the current College curriculum.
• Early years theatre – a live theatre show for young children engaging with the local primary schools, nurseries and parents and carers to encourage a magical first theatre experience in friendly familiar surroundings promoting imagination, confidence and communication skills.
• Box of Frogs improvised comedy – a lively improvisation comedy troupe.
• Gobbess – a kaleidoscopic one-creature show that blends circus, storytelling, spoken word and poetry in a journey of embracing imperfection, rediscovering playfulness and rejecting societal expectations.

What a wonderful, eclectic introduction to the arts for 385 youngsters!