2023 –THE YEAR OF BEING CHEEKY

Wearing a yellow jumper for our interview, Aletha Shepherd, model, actor, producer, writer and director is a ray of sunshine on a cold January afternoon. The adventures that took her from Sutton High School around the world and finally back home to London could fill a book on their own, but where she really lights up is in describing what she’s doing now. It’s all-go at her production company, Shot of Tea, where the projects are coming in thick and fast, staff numbers are growing, and meetings with the likes of the BBC, Channel 4, Studio Canal and ITV are back-to-back in her diary. So what is Shot of Tea all about?

“All our stories are about inclusivity,” Aletha says. “They’re extremely creative and have integrity. We make sure that for every project, we ask, ‘What is this saying about the world? Why are we making this? Why is this relevant now?’ These are critical things that we talk to our writers and business partners about. We make sure that everything we do has a purpose and that we’re passionate about it. I need to feel good about what I’m doing, and I have learnt to trust my gut about everything.”

She continues, “We love the female gaze – female characters, female crews including writers and directors - and as a black female, I feel responsible not only to my community but to all those immigrants to the UK, to make sure they have a platform and an opportunity to have their stories told. I do feel an extreme sense of responsibility.”

It might seem like a long way from her childhood in Wallington and her school days at Sutton High School, but Aletha connects all her life experiences – the highs and the lows - back to these formative years. From being hospitalised with meningitis at 17, forced to miss taking A Levels and having to learn to walk again, to being scouted and taking part in the Miss World competition (entering as Miss Guyana). And then, from initially tough and lonely times in LA to later, some of the best of times working with United Talent Agency where doors were opened, and she was propelled to the heart of Hollywood, gaining confidence in her own creative talents.

“When I went to Miss World, I would have conversations with presidents and prime ministers. And I could do this because I was educated to a standard that allowed me to enter any room and talk with anyone from any background. Sutton High gave me confidence, and the belief that anything was possible: it made me think I could go out and have any career I wanted. And what I loved most was doing all those things (like dancing, gymnastics, giving presentations and acting) that were part of my personality. If they hadn’t let me be me, I wouldn’t be who I am today. I wouldn’t be in the film business. Sutton High School gave me the freedom to discover who I was.” do it, how do you figure this out?’ He replied that she shouldn’t worry and that she’d get there. “But” she says, “He wasn’t just going to hand it to me. You have to put in the work.” This, and advice from James Franco that she “couldn’t just be an actor”, was the push she needed to start exploring the world of writing and producing. film and TV in the UK and ultimately, to win an Oscar. That would be my dream.”

She laughs in a self-deprecating way, but after only a couple of hours with Aletha, we’re with Jamie Foxx: Aletha will get there, and probably sooner than even she thinks.

Aletha inherited her strong work ethic from her mother, who encouraged her ambitions, and was determined to see her daughter succeed. It was her mother who saw the potential for Aletha at Sutton High School, schooled her in verbal and non-verbal reasoning tests and put the bursary place within reach; something she says, “changed everything about me.”

Later, in Hollywood, Aletha saw again the impact of hard work and the need to develop her abilities. “Being around all these successful people, I realised that you’ve got to be able to stand on your own two feet. You’ve got to have something to say for yourself and to show for yourself.” One Christmas, feeling particularly frustrated in her career, she asked Jamie Foxx, ‘How do you

On returning to London, Aletha found herself looking for her ‘film family’, which took her deeper into the creative process. The connections she had made in Hollywood, along with new collaborators and creatives in the UK gave rise to Shot of Tea, and the rest, as they say, is history. She talks about the graft that goes into learning about the business end of the industry, then setting up, financing and running a production company, alongside being directly involved in filming (last year in the USA and with other projects in the pipeline). But she maintains that instinct is a key factor in her business. “Trusting my gut, and what I call ‘being cheeky’,” she smiles, “This is the year of being cheeky. We do push things a bit, but every time we do, we get a result. And I get to talk about all the stories on our slates, and the writers we’re working with, and the stories that we want to make, turning ideas into visual presentations with pictures and ideas for casts – and watching these stories come to life from the scripts that we’re passionate about is so exciting.”

So what’s next?

“My ambition is to be able to create 3-5 movies a year, that we really love and are passionate about, and 2-3 shows that get commissioned for TV. And to continuously be able to do this, year after year, to become one of the biggest independent producers of

Aletha is one of the just over 6,600 women who have benefited from the lifechanging opportunity of a GDST education thanks to its bursary programme, which has been in place for 25 years. GDST bursaries are not just about providing financial assistance: students are given the chance to flourish, to learn and to discover on the same terms as their peers.

@shotoftea

@alethashepherd

Find out more about GDST bursaries here: https://bit.ly/ GDSTbursaries

Portsmouth High School

Portsmouth High School was delighted to welcome Claire Tamplin, mindfulness coach and Express FM presenter, to open its brand new wellbeing centre, Daffodil House.

With student wellbeing at the heart of the school’s ethos, Daffodil House offers meeting spaces for student support sessions, and is home to the school’s wellbeing team. Downstairs, it has a student common room; the welcoming and relaxed nature of this space supporting group workshops and lunchtime drop-in sessions run by Sixth Form wellbeing ambassadors. It also has its own courtyard garden.

Headmistress, Mrs Jane Prescott said, “The last two years have been tough for everyone, but none more so than children whatever their age. They have not experienced normality, and if schools are not proactive in helping young people to navigate these testing times, then it could lead to greater problems later.

Notting Hill & Ealing High School

As part of the celebrations for Notting Hill & Ealing’s 150th birthday, the school is putting together a commemorative book telling the story of its 150 years through 150 key memories. From traditions like the Boar’s Head Carol, through the dramatic events of the war years, to the special festive reindeer visit of 2022, the book will bring the history of NHEHS to life through memorable moments big and small.

And this is where NHEHS Old Girls come in. If you have memories from your time at Notting Hill & Ealing and you’re willing to share them, it would be wonderful to hear from you. Don’t worry if you don’t remember all the details: one memory tends to spark another, and the more contributions that come in, the more vivid the picture will become.

To contribute your memories, please get in touch with Roberta Klimt at r.klimt@nhehs.gdst.net giving your name, the year you graduated, and details (more is more!) of your favourite memory from NHEHS. Many thanks in advance.