Project information

US AND THEM - A COMMUNITY MUSICAL PRODUCTION

WCTT brings communities together through the arts. Our Summer Showcase engages young people from across Merton, giving opportunities to work with professional directors & choreographers. We will create a musical, engaging 300 Merton youngsters & breaking down barriers across classes & location.

December 2015 - July 2016

Charity information: Wimbledon Civic Theatre Trust

Wimbledon Civic Theatre Trust logo
  • Need

    Need

    Merton’s population is diversifying, with new communities arriving & the issues affecting established groups changing all the time. Issues such as discrimination, violence, harassment & exclusion divide the community & foster anti-social & criminal behavior. Improving cross-community relations helps to reduce discrimination & lead to a more cohesive borough. An emerging trend is the need to facilitate discussions between young people about differing cultures, faiths & economic backgrounds safely

    Solution

    Tackling this problem via the arts is WCTT’s major charitable aim. This project will involve 300 young people, bringing them together to create a piece of musical theatre which celebrates the rich diversity of different cultures in our borough. The story & the songs will be drawn from the young people’s own experience and putting this onstage at a major London venue in front of up to 800 people, will further understanding & foster a sense of pride in the strength & diversity of our community.

  • Aims

    Aim 1

    Stage a new musical theatre production at New Wimbledon Theatre

    Activities

    » Two performances of Us and Them in July 2016.

    AIM 30% show improvement of at least one grade in literacy or arts subjects

    Aim 2

    Engage 300 young people in a creative exploration of the cultures in Merton.

    Activities

    » Intensive Programme of 60 theatre and music sessions with 9 schools, one youth group and one Saturday school in Merton.

    AIM 90% of students to feedback that they “feel safer and more accepted in Merton.”

    Aim 3

    Bring together young people from across the communities of Merton

    Activities

    » Active participation of groups and organisations representing Merton’s diverse community

    AIM 20% of participants take up opportunities for further community engagement.

    Aim 4

    Promote positive discussions about diversity & identity between young people from across the borough

    Activities

    » A high quality theatre production which highlights the issues affecting young people in Merton to the wider community

    AIM 40% of students taking part in the project has made them feel that “their understanding of issues affecting young people are taken more seriously as a result of this project

  • Impact

    Impact

    Participants will engage with other community-based projects both in Merton & regionally. Measured by post-show questionnaire both immediately & after six months
    Improvements in services for young people in Merton. Measured via our links with other Merton based youth organisations.
    We also expect better school attendance, better behavior in & around school & improved life-opportunities. Measured by schools attendance records, behavior logs, exam grades & take up of voluntary & charitable work

    Risk

    Some may not stay to the end. We are now highly experienced at delivering large-scale projects of this nature.
    Less able young people may not have the skills to express their concerns verbally. Resolved by engaging staff who are experienced in working with mild to severe learning difficulties.
    Aiming to engage young people across all social groupings with no previous experience of each other may create tensions. Tackled by working closely with the leaders to identify potential conflicts.

    Reporting

    We produce a full evaluation report with all statistical information and reports and feedback by practitioners, teachers, participants and audiences.

  • Budget

    Budget - Project Cost: £42,285

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      Amount Heading Description
      £11,000 Lead Practitioners Employment cost for Lead Practitioner - Theatre Director and Composer
      £5,675 Directors Employment cost for Musical Director and Movement Director
      £5,000 Set Designer Employment cost of Set Designer plus cost of Set, Costumes and Props
      £2,210 Workshops etc Teachers workshops (660), Workshop materials (500), Photography (400), Licences (650)
      £2,850 Technical Support Staff Costs to employ technical support staff
      £2,350 Marketing Cost for Marketing, Marketing Materials and Publicity
      £9,350 Hire Charges Costs to hire theatre, lighting and sound equipment
      £3,850 Contingency Allowance of 10% contingency
  • Background

    Location

    Main Stage of New Wimbledon Theatre

    Beneficiaries

    Young people from across the wide range of cultural communities living in Merton with a particular emphasis on those living with disadvantage.
    Young people generally- both now and in the future.
    The wider Merton community as this project will contribute to creating a stronger sense of community cohesion and mutual understanding.
    Number of young people engaged on the project.
    300
    Number of audience attending the final performances
    Aim for 800

  • Why Us?

    Why Us?

    WCTT has undertaken many wonderful projects in 2014/2015 and we have worked with over 4200 young people to give them a better start in life. The 2015 Schools Showcase TRUCE will showcase the talents of over 100 young people from 8 schools across Merton utilizing cutting-edge video design techniques and projected images, created by an award winning artist, and integrated with live action on stage. The result takes the audience on a magical journey from World War I, into cyberspace and the future.

    Read more about the Charity running this project.

    People

    Andrew Alty

    Creative Learning Manager

    Alison Harner

    Learning and Development Officer

East & West Schools Showcase Film