By Gavin Mackintosh-
Theatre Royal Stratford East and West Ham United Foundation have united their resources to launch a creative programme set to run in two of the borough’s schools.
The programme, named Creative Words, is set to establish a creative arts, poetry, drama and spoken word programme at Kingsford Community School, and Royal Docks Community School until March next year. The eye of media.com has long campaigned for the establishment of schemes, workshops, and summer camps designed to encourage young people to nurture their talents and realise their inner potential. The eye of media.com have in the past year held talks with the Theatre Royal Stratford East and West Ham United Foundation, among others, about positive schemes of this nature, and learnt that they have also shared the same vision of using their own talents to help galvanise young people into progressive development. The news of this scheme is a most welcome one.
Aimed at helping vulnerable young people enhance their attainment in both English literature and language, the ambitious programme will create opportunities to boost their confidence through interactive sessions and a celebratory performance at the theatre. Research shows that many young people come from homes plagued with domestic violence, drug and alcoholic abuse, and abject poverty. Sexual abuse of youths at a young age is also a plight many youths face or have faced in their early years, a large number living with the scars in silence. It may be shocking to many to know that there are numerous children and teenagers who have suffered a combination of all the aforementioned issues that often hinder the minds and intelelcts of young people from developing at the expected rate.
Underachievement in school and life has since the dawn of time stunted the development of millions of individuals. Schemes like that being inaugurated by the Theatre Royal East and West Ham United Foundation are a postive step of progression for young people. Parents and teachers took to twitter to hail the scheme, which is expected to be a motivational source of progress for young people in East London . Moreschemes like these across the country are expected. The eye of media.com have in the last month been also jointly working on a positive scheme to encourage young people to develop acdemically and intellectually, following ongoing research on education in the UK.
Artistic director Nadia Fall in a press release to the eye of media.com stated:
“We are thrilled to be working in partnership with West Ham United Foundation to launch the Creative Words programme.
“It’s a unique and vital opportunity that will give young people a platform to share their stories and explore their creativity. This is a chance to help encourage and support local young talent and we are so excited to be part of that.”
The programme will provide a stepping stone for young people looking for a career in the creative industry to then transfer onto West Ham United Foundation’s film school programme once they have finished their GCSEs.
Joe Lyons, chief executive of the Foundation said “Our aim is to ensure our local young people have unique and inspiring opportunities to succeed, and this wonderful new initiative will play a key part in that.
“I am looking forward to seeing the programme develop, and am already looking forward to the celebratory performance.”
The scheme follows a successful pilot at Kingsford Community School, in Kingsford Way, Beckton, last year.
The school’s literacy co-ordinator, Lydia Casey, said: “The Creative Words programme will be a fantastic opportunity for our pupils to develop their creativity, communication and confidence skills.
“We are very much looking forward to seeing the progress that the students have made over the course of the project.”
East London suffers one of the highest crime rates in the country, their streets are gangs and drugs infested. The scarcity of role models and motivational programmes has perpetuated the tendency of young people to turn to affiliation with gangs for comfort and safety.