YOUTH THEATRE BUILDING CONFIDENCE FOR THE FUTURE

The Belfast School of Performing Arts is taking centre stage, and we're here to shine a spotlight on some of their outstanding projects coming up and find out what makes youth theatre such a positive influence for young people.

As Northern Ireland’s largest theatre school with over 700 pupils, BSPA prides itself on fostering a welcoming, nurturing, and inclusive environment for young people to grow, explore their creativity and to develop their skills in dancing, acting and singing.

The passionate and talented team provide opportunities for young people to perform in fullscale productions, take part in specialist masterclasses, have fun, make friends and build confidence. Not only are they leading the way in developing the next generation of performers, but they are providing those who don’t follow a career on the stage with some very valuable life skills that they can use on whatever journey they choose.

Tina McVeigh, Managing Director at BSPA says;

“Youth theatre is something that I firmly believe can transform lives, we hear so many positive stories from our students and their parents on how coming to BSPA has made a difference, from improved academic performance, developing confidence, enhanced creativity or the ability to work better in a team, but something we hear a lot which makes my heart really swell with pride is that many of our students have found real lifelong friends in our BSPA family.”

“Furthermore, youth theatre provides exposure to different cultures and ideas, allowing young people to gain a broader perspective of the world around them. This exposure helps them to become more empathetic and become more understanding individuals, able to appreciate and celebrate diversity.”

Undoubtedly the highlights on the BSPA calendar are the two annual Summer Youth projects which are both open to students who are not attending the weekly classes. These are intense projects which give the students the opportunity to deliver a full-scale production on a real stage while working with some the best industry professionals there are. This year, BSPA are showcasing both Shrek and Les Misérables.

Jackson Allen, a student at BSPA for a number of years is looking forward to taking on the role of Monsieur Thenardier in Les Misérables, he says;

“I’ve been involved in loads of Summer Youth Projects with BSPA and I am so excited to be returning once again. The project is always fun and challenging and the production team are always so professional, supportive and knowledgeable, but without a doubt the best part of the experience are the friends and laughs you gather along the way. The friends I have met through BSPA are some of my best friends and the memories we have made are absolutely priceless, without youth drama I would not have had the opportunity to meet all these incredible people and I can’t wait to see who I’ll meet this year!”

Audiences will enjoy a “big bright beautiful world” as everyone’s favourite ogre, Shrek, leads a cast of fairytale misfits on an adventure to rescue a princess and find true acceptance. Part romance and part twisted fairy-tale; Shrek JR. is an irreverently fun show with a powerful message of acceptance for the whole family to enjoy.

Shrek features a cast of 70 young people aged between 6-16 years old and runs at Stranmillis College Theatre from the 3rd- 6th August.

The BSPA senior Summer Youth Project is the epic tale of broken dreams, passion and redemption, all set against a nation in the throes of a revolution – With a cast of 80 students aged 12-18, BSPA looks forward to taking on one of the most loved stage productions of all time, Les Misérables features one of the most memorable scores and some of the most memorable characters to ever grace the stage!

To book tickets for Shrek please visit ticketsource.co.uk/bspa

To book tickets for Les Miserables please visit themaclive.com

To find out more about BSPA please visit thebspa.co.uk