New UK-wide performing arts course for young people in care

This initiative aims to bridge the gap for some of the most disadvantaged young people in the UK by offering creative outlets that foster confidence, resilience, creativity, and potential future career opportunities.

Featuring performances by notable actors such as Emeka Sesay (Top Boy, The Power), Zoe Lister (Hollyoaks, The Worst Witch), Pandora Christie (Heart Radio), Mo Jamil (The Voice UK), and soprano Jennifer France, the course brings together industry experts to inspire young audiences and demonstrate the possibilities for them within the performing arts sector.

Running alongside The Share Foundation’s Stepladder Plus life skills programme, a financially-incentivised online learning programme for young people in care aged 15-17, the course will not only support personal development but also connect young people to a wider network of performing arts resources and organisations at the local level.

Developed with Tring Park School and produced by media company Particle6, this pioneering course will act as an initial access point, routing young people to local performing arts education organisations and identifying future opportunities for those interested in pursuing the arts.

Gavin Oldham, Chair of Trustees at The Share Foundation, commented: “The performing arts are special in their ability to combine enjoyment, opportunity, and a positive experience of social relationships — all key antidotes to the insecurity and despair faced by many young people in care. We believe this new course will provide an excellent complement to our Stepladder Plus life skills programme, offering hope and new opportunities for care leavers as they transition into adulthood.”

Following an extensive feasibility study conducted by Lucy Perman MBE and Imogen Ashby, backed by a total investment of £260,000 supported jointly by The Rothschild Foundation and a Charities Aid Foundation Donor Advised Fund, the course will serve as a platform that connects young people in care with performing arts education resources across the country. It will act as the glue uniting national organisations such as The Big House, Care to Dance, and Tring Park School, as well as supporting the work of the National Association of Virtual School Heads and The Mighty Creatives.

Scripts and filming for the six-step online course were completed over the past three months with guidance from a focus group of young people in care and an advisory group chaired by Andy Wright OBE, Trustee for West Midlands Children in Care Foundation, Chair of ARC and ASCL Council Member. The programme is scheduled to launch in early 2025 and will be available through local authorities across the United Kingdom. For more information please visit: www.sharefound.org/steppingforward