Peer Employment Pathway Prospectus

PUT A PEP IN YOUR STEP

The Peer Employment Pathway (PEP) programme is an employability programme for young adults (aged 18 - 24 years) with learning disabilities who have a passion for performing arts.

PEP uses drama, theatre and creativity to empower participants to develop their confidence, communication skills and abilities to work with others - building transferable skills for employment or higher education, both within and outside of the performing arts industry. PEP learners become part of an inclusive, working theatre company making theatre alongside young actors from our Peer Actor Development Programme as well as professional artists from Peer Productions.

ABOUT PEER

Based in central Woking in Surrey, Peer Productions is an award winning youth arts charity dedicated to transforming young people’s lives through theatre. Founded in 2006, the charity specialises in combining high quality theatre practice with peer education.

PEER TRAINING

Since 2007, each year we have trained a team of young actors aged 18 - 24 years on our level 4 gap year programme (PAD) with many of our graduates going on to top drama schools. In 2021 we launched our new Peer Employment Pathway (PEP) programme specifically to meet the needs of young actors with learning disabilities.

PEER PLAYS

We deliver plays in the community, touring productions to complement the PSHE curriculum to schools in Surrey and beyond. We also make digital theatre. Our plays tackle the topics which are most important to young people but most challenging to talk about including mental health and self harm, sex, relationships and consent, knife crime and radicalisation, and alcohol and substance misuse.

PEER OUTREACH

We also deliver outreach work with a range of young people and have a particular expertise and interest in working with young people with learning disabiities.

We are especially proud to run the Generation Girls programme. This is an award winning programme which uses drama and creativity to teach young Autistic women and women with learning disabilities about themselves, their bodies and their relationships. We deliver this project in MLD schools in Surrey and Berkshire. Last year we also started to deliver Generation Guys for young Autistic men and young men with learning disabilities.

FAQs

WHO IS PEP FOR?

• Young People (aged 18 - 24 years) with learning disabilities.

• With a keen interest in performing arts.

• With an EHCP detailing a significant need.

• With the potential to access the world of work in the short to medium term.

• Suited to an alternative approach to conventional education.

HOW IS PEP FUNDED?

Local authorities commmission Peer Productions to deliver PEP for young people whom they feel will benefit from the programme. This means families do not usually pay for the provision.

HOW DO I APPLY?

Fill in the expression of interest form on our website or give us a call and one of our team will be in touch to arrange a visit and interview.

WHEN WOULD I START & WHAT ARE THE HOURS?

Most young people start at the beginning of the academic year but, if places are available, learners can start at other times. PEP learners are at Peer Productions 3.5 days (20 hours) each week.

OUR VALUES CREATIVE

OUR CURRICULUM

The PEP curriuclum is made up of 5 elements.

PERFORMANCE SKILLS

PEP artists learn how to use their voices and bodies to express themselves, how to work collaboratively as part of a creative ensemble and how to give and receive feedback.

INDUSTRY AWARENESS

PEP artists develop the skills they need to better understand the performing arts sector, identify appropriate opportunities for themselves and learn how to stay safe when applying for work or attending auditions and interviews.

PROJECTS

PEP artists have the opportunity to take part in projects which enable them to share their talents with a wider audience. Alongside their abilities as a performer, this develops a range of skills including communication, working as part of a team and organisation, planning and time management skills.

HEALTH & WELLBEING

Using drama as a tool for education, PEP participants learn how to manage stress. how to communicate their needs and reasonable adjustments as well as how to stay safe, healthy and happy online, in the workplace and in the wider community.

WORK EXPERIENCE

As a working theatre company Peer Productions is able to offer a range of ‘in house’ opportunities appropriate to the individual learner. These might include working as peer educators on our outreach Generation programmes, working as a directors assistant by keeping notes in rehearsals, or supporting our marketing team with graphic design jobs or filming social media content.

TESTIMONIES

A PARENT’S VIEW

“Our child has Down syndrome and Autism and, having regressed enormously over the COVID lockdowns, they seemed destined to becoming completely isolated and alone. Then we found Peer Productions. Since they started they are more chatty, more likely to engage and their sense of humour has returned. We hadn’t seen them smile for many months and even that’s back. The staff have been absolutely brilliant and have bent over backwards to allow them to participate and they love it. What the team are providing, and so obviously delivering, is life changing to not only the young people, but also to their families.”