Providing Opportunities in the Arts

Coram Shakespeare Schools Foundation

The world’s largest youth drama festival, led by Coram Shakespeare Schools Foundation, adapted to the Coronavirus pandemic by going virtual. Through this, we were able to increase access to the arts across the nation and provide more opportunities for children with additional needs. 224 schools showcased their students’ artistry during One Night of Shakespeare by filming their creative performances and broadcasting them on our live stream. With messages of support from actors Emma Thompson, Hugh Dennis, Alfred Enoch and Simon Callow, and supported by Art Council England’s Culture Recovery Fund, students enthralled an online audience with their inspirational performances of Shakespeare’s work. The Coram Shakespeare Schools Foundation provides access to performance opportunities that help children and young people to develop confidence and enrich their lives through the arts. Most importantly

we provided participants with an enjoyable and educational experience during this difficult year. The Coram Shakespeare Schools Foundation can be life-changing for many children, just like Tyler*, a 13-year-old student who had been moved to his school’s specialist intervention unit but was desperate to return to mainstream education.

His drama teacher Harriet Baynham-Williams cast Tyler in A Midsummer Night’s Dream for Coram Shakespeare Schools Festival. It was a role Tyler made his own, he worked with our theatre professional to develop his own idea for a play within a play. Renaming his character ‘Trumpet’ and devising an original introduction where he marched out onto the stage and told the audience he was the real director and what they were about to see was really a work in progress. “Will it be A Midsummer Night’s Dream or A Midsummer’s Nightmare?” he asked. It was a bold creative move that greatly empowered Tyler. “Stepping out onto that big stage was scary,” he says, “But when I heard the audience I thought ‘game on’. I react well to a crowd and when I’m on stage I feel like I want to make them laugh.” “I’ve seen a huge difference in his behaviour and his focus,” Harriet told us, “his attitude to learning in general has improved massively. He used to hate writing. But now he sees the links between writing and other opportunities his attitude towards it has changed.” Following his performance, it was decided that Tyler would re-join mainstream lessons full time.

Not only has Tyler now joined the school drama club but he also joined the Combined Cadet Force (CCF), where he was rewarded with the privilege of carrying the flag for his exemplary behaviour. “For Tyler, taking part in the Festival has been truly life-changing,” says Harriet.

To find out more about Coram Shakespeare Schools Foundation visit our website at www.shakespeareschools.org/

Voices Through Time

Coram is ensuring the voices of care-experienced people are heard by telling their stories from 1739 (the year we were established as the Foundling Hospital) to today. More than 100 care-experienced young people aged 16 to 25 are directly involved in our Voices Through Time programme, funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Many are taking part in our range of creative projects, inspired by the Foundling archive to spread awareness and understanding of what life is like for a care-experienced young person. One of our ambassadors, Aaron, a 20 year old care-leaver, has written the fantastic piece, The Weight of the World, as part of our #RealStoriesOfCare campaign. Below is an excerpt from the poem, which you can watch as a spoken word performance on the Coram YouTube channel.

With the world on his shoulders, and a limp in his stride, and with all the eyes on him, and nowhere to hide, Daily battles with demons, he endures on inside, Monsters not of his making, Though in him they reside. Though the world wants to judge him, or better ‘to guide’, when the demons come knocking, who’s stood by his side?

Another example of our Voices Through Time Ambassadors’ impressive creativity is their original performance, What’s in a Name, at the Arcola Theatre which explored their experiences of care and own identities through spoken word, music and rap, led by rap artist and care leaver, Ric Flo. One performer, Paige said; “I have met a group of awesome young people who have had similar experiences to me. We have become like a little family. They have inspired me to better myself and get more involved with improving the lives of care-experienced people. We are ‘care leavers to care leaders!’”