Plymouth’s performing arts course gives new skills to young jobless

Unemployed young people in Plymouth are being given the chance to take part in a three-week course to give them the skills and confidence they need to get a job.

Experience Performing Arts, funded by The Co-operative Foundation and delivered in partnership with The Prince’s Trust and Theatre Royal Plymouth, will give local young people the opportunity to boost their confidence and gain new skills to help them get into education or find employment.

The course, the second to be run in Plymouth, forms part of The Co-operative’s “Truth about Youth” programme, which works with young people to highlight the positive contributions that they make in their communities.
In Plymouth, there are currently one in four young people struggling to find work (25 per cent).

Identical twins Ceri and Beth Astill, 18, from Torpoint, Cornwall, took part in the first Performing Arts in Cornwall last year.

Both girls have Spinal Muscular Atrophy, a disease that causes muscle wastage and limited mobility, and experienced tough times at school. The course offered them the chance to develop professional theatre skills, confidence and team building. They are both now at college with Beth studying medical science and Ceri studying Performing Arts.

Ceri said: “The course was really good because there were lots of team building and movement activities and we both had to lead a group session as part of gaining our Bronze Arts Awards. At first we were both quite nervous, but the others in the group included us in everything and in the end we both took major roles in the final performance. Before completing the programme, I never would've had the confidence to study the course I’m doing now."

Working with experienced producers to plan, create and perform a piece of professional theatre, the programme also helps young people to gain a Bronze Arts Award – a level one national qualification awarded by the Arts Council.

Annette Johns, Programme Executive from The Prince’s Trust, said: “The “Truth about Youth” programme is a great opportunity for unemployed young people to build their self-esteem, develop new qualifications and skills, while giving them the chance to get their voices heard.”

Everyone on the course will be offered ongoing support for three months after the course by The Prince’s Trust to help them find a job. Three in four young people helped by The Prince’s Trust move into work, education or training.

It is open to unemployed 16-25-year-olds and will take place between Monday 27th January and Friday 15th March 2014, with a taster day on Tuesday 21st January. Transport will be paid for.

Young people should call or text Annette Johns on 07538 936145 or email annette.johns@princes-trust.org.uk to find out more and enrol onto the course taster day.