Silhouette Youth Theatre
“I founded Silhouette six years ago to provide opportunities for
Ready to move onto the next stage - if businesses act soon
With the support of local businesses, hundreds more young people could feel the impact of Silhouette T eatre Company – a community project that doesn’t just nurture talent but gives hope and opportunity in one of the most deprived areas of Northampton. The organisation was founded six years ago by former
headteacher Leigh Wolmarans. Its aim was to ensure that everyone, no matter what their family background or socio-economic status, had access to the arts and the chance to explore drama, music and dance. Silhouette is currently located in space on the top fl oor of Weston
Favell Shopping Centre. Such is its success, however, it has now outgrown that space. A solution lies in the availability, elsewhere in the centre, of half of the former Wilco store – if almost half a million pounds can be found to transform that space into something that will fulfi l Silhouette’s needs and also allow it to extend its reach into the wider community. Leigh, who is CEO and Artistic Director, and who admits that
much of his time is spent writing applications for funding anyway, is now seeking alternative options, including through local businesses, to help towards the £460,000 in capital funding needed to carry out preparation work on the empty store.
all,” said Leigh. “How much money you have and what parents you have shouldn’t aff ect what opportunities you have. “Young people come to Silhouette from all over the region, as
far away as Milton Keynes, and everyone is welcome, but we are particularly keen to work with this community, which is one of the most deprived in the county. We charge £5 a session, but if anyone turns up and they can’t pay, we fund that. Money should never be the reason you don’t do something at Silhouette. We believe in accessible and aff ordable opportunities for all, and we do what we can to redirect the light to communities and young people that need it the most.” As well as providing drama, music and dance sessions, the
Silhouette team, which also includes a Head of Music, Head of Voice and Head of Dance, and a host of local freelancers, works with 48 schools in Northampton to run their creative programmes. Silhouette is also a regional theatre partner of the Royal Shakespeare Company, which provides opportunities to perform on RSC stages and learn backstage crafts and techniques. Leigh has calculated that while 355 young people attend Silhouette every week, its reach, when you include schools and teachers, parents and members of the local community, is more like 16,500. “Anyone can come to Silhouette, but we have young people who
are school refusers, who have mental health and wellbeing issues or diff erent or diffi cult needs,” said Leigh. “Creative arts funding is being cut massively but we know that the performing arts have a massive impact on someone’s wellbeing, their self-belief and self- confi dence. Performing gives them a voice.” Silhouette stages regular productions, all of which sell out, and
all of which have a ‘pay-what-you-can’ policy at the door. If funding can be found to develop the new, bigger space, it would not just open up opportunities for Silhouette productions but would provide
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