Insight into theatre careers

For more than two decades, Half Moon has been committed to ensuring young people studying GCSE Drama in Tower Hamlets have the opportunity to gain a practical insight into the many different careers there are in theatre. Our Careers in Theatre programme gives groups of around 50 students, normally from two or three schools at a time, the chance to come together and make a play in a day, taking on roles in lighting, sound, set design, acting and stage management.

Between 13 and 21 October this year, more than 200 young people came to Half Moon over five days to experience Careers in Theatre. Each day starts with a script extract reading, something in development at Half Moon that may later go on to be a full production.

The acting group interrogate the script and devise their own version or response to the piece – with the writers watching on to understand its relevance to the lives of young people in East London. The design group think about how they want to stage the piece and what imagery they want to create to bring the piece to life. The lighting and sound students consider the emotions they want to stir in the audience and how they can do that through colour and music. And all this is brought together by the stage management group who are learning skills in leading their peers whilst simultaneously creating marketing materials for the piece.

At the end of the day (just seven hours after the arrived), the whole piece is put together and performed to one another and the rest of the team at Half Moon. And every young person leaves quite in awe of what has been achieved in one day!

Some comments from the young people really highlight this: “I had a lot of fun and it taught me how to cooperate with people I don’t know,” and “I most enjoyed when everyone put their hard work together to create a lovely show”.

The teachers who bring their students each year always give such positive feedback about the impact of the project on their young people. One told us this year that the project “is so fantastic for students’ confidence, collaboration and understanding of theatre production. The autonomy they are given is great for their maturity as well. Students from diverse backgrounds, varying levels of need and confidence all came together to successfully create their theatre piece.”

Beccy Allen is Head of Creative Learning at Half Moon