Lyric Hammersmith Awarded Grant To Support START Programme

The Lyric Hammersmith is delighted to have been awarded a significant grant of £120,000 over three years by the St James's Place Charitable Foundation, having been introduced by AAG Wealth Management, to support the theatre's START programme. START is an arts based learning alternative for young people aged 16-21 who are NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training), helping them learn new skills and build confidence in order to re-engage with education or gain employment following the programme. This award combines with generous support from the Sir John Cass Foundation, The Ironmongers' Company, The Buffini Chao Foundation and the Charlotte Bonham-Carter Charitable Trust.

AAG Wealth Management presented a cheque on behalf of St James's Place to the Lyric at a reception on Wednesday 12 December 2018 at 5.30pm, following a performance by the winter 2018 START participants of the piece of theatre they have made as part of the programme.

Mark Longbottom, Head of the St James's Place Charitable Foundation said:
'We are proud to support the vital work of the Lyric Hammersmith who help disadvantaged and marginalised young people in London to reach their full potential through the power of theatre.'

The Lyric's START programme uses theatre-making activities and workshops to change behaviour that has previously prevented its young participants from succeeding in mainstream education and employment settings. Working with approximately 10 young people per term, recruited from at risk backgrounds, the START programme runs at the Lyric in parallel with each academic term for six weeks from Monday-Thursday.

Through the use of dramatic techniques, participants are encouraged to identify, explore and address the underlying causes of their disengagement, broaden their perspectives, explore issues that are relevant to their own lives and rehearse alternative behaviours in a safe environment. The theatre-making elements of START build towards the creation of an end-of- course show, which participants devise and perform to an invited audience. On completion, they receive a Trinity Bronze Arts Award, which for many will be their first qualification. They also receive follow-on support from the Lyric to help them with their onward journeys. The programme has continually demonstrated its impact, with 84% of participants in the past year having re-engaged with employment, training or education upon completion.

Sian Alexander, Executive Director of the Lyric Hammersmith said:
'We are so grateful for this significant and long term investment from St James's Place Charitable Foundation. START is a unique programme in the theatre industry that has a transformative impact on the young people we work with. It has now been running for 11 years and it is thanks to our funders that we can continue to deliver this vital and impactful work in a sustained way.'

Participants are recruited through a broad range of delivery partners including Youth Offending teams, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, social workers and Job Centre Plus, in order to reach the most socially marginalised young members of the community. The programme covers the costs of lunch and travel for all participants to ensure that the project is fully accessible. The course is delivered by a team of creative experts and a youth worker to provide all-round artistic and pastoral support.