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Autumn Education Grants: Extending the Experiment programme

239_DreamArts Gala by Greg Goodale_edited
Credit: Greg Goodale

DreamArts have been awarded a Community Investment Grant of £45,000 (over 3 years) to support the Experiment programme in south Westminster.

It is an affordable creative arts programme that offers children aged 7–12 to explore and develop their personal and social skills while devising and presenting their own creative work, such as a musical or short play.  For four hours each Saturday, two different age groups learn a range of new skills and then work together to produce a performance.  We have funded two short terms and half term programme each year.

A former Experiment member wrote this lovely feedback about her experiences.

‘I have been going to DreamArts for four years and I love it.

In this time I have made new friends and been able to develop my confidence and creativity.  I love making things and DreamArts lets me make things and lets me be myself.

When I started DreamArts I was going through a hard time at school and DreamArts helped me by putting my mum in touch with an Art Therapist.  I got to talk about my problems and create things with her.  It helped me to work through some of my problems.

The shows: When we create our shows we start by thinking up characters and then we develop them more and more.  Then we begin to create a storyline and continue on developing that, adding in songs and dance routines, making it better and better until we have our play.  Sarah-Nell helps us with the singing and music and we get to create our own songs.  Chai helps us with the dance routines and Maeve helps us with the acting and script.  I have been a magic mirror, an old lady named Mrs Coppers who has been trapped in a forest for over a thousand years, and I was Mrs Coppers again who was in the land of lost looking for my hairdryer.  My favourite role was the last one where I was a mermaid fairy princess who was trying to earn her legs.

In DreamArts, I have made new friends, I get to act, sing, dance and put together plays.  I love everything about it and if I could change anything about it, I wouldn’t change a thing. 🙂’

The Trustees also approved the following grants:

  • £45,000 Community Investment Grant over 3 years to Future Men – towards running Churchill Gardens Youth Club
  • £15,000 Crisis grant to St Andrew’s Club – to update ventilation system in their basement Gym and Studio to meet Covid requirements.

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