This time of year is always busy for us at She Productions. As the days grow longer and the sun shines brighter, our team is always bustling with activity, particularly with our outreach work. It's an exciting period filled with creativity, growth, and community engagement. Here's a glimpse of what we've been up to.
Finding Your Voice Programme
One of the highlights of our summer outreach work is our annual Finding Your Voice programme, an initiative that holds a special place in our hearts. This programme is dedicated to empowering individuals by helping them gain confidence, discover and develop their unique creative voices.
It is more than just a week of intensive workshops. The programme is designed to create a supportive environment where participants can explore their creativity, whether through writing, performance, visual arts, or other forms of expression. Our goal is to help each individual find their voice and share it with the world.
Each year, we witness incredible transformations as participants begin to see themselves and their abilities in a new light. Through this programme, they gain not only the skills to create but also the belief in their own potential. The creativity unleashed in this programme is truly inspiring.
We are deeply grateful for the support of the East Riding of Yorkshire Council and the East Riding Adult Learning and Employability team. Working together, our goal is to make a real difference in the lives of individuals, providing them with the opportunity to find and share their voices.
As we continue to run the Finding Your Voice programme, we are excited to see how it will evolve and grow. The journey of each participant is unique, and we look forward to meeting more amazing participant and learning and creating new stories of personal and artistic discovery. With the continued support of our partners and the enthusiasm of our community, we are confident that this programme will keep empowering voices for years to come.
We are delighted to be able to share with you a beautiful poem that was written by Sophie, one of our Finding Your Voice 2024 participants. It was written in just two days, and we think it is incredible.
Something New by Sophie Curtis
Loneliness is a stain.
It creeps and spreads and winds it’s chain
Around delicate threads of personality,
Until there is no way to see
Where it’s weaving ends and mine begins.
It’s like wine on a white napkin,
Or blood on the skin
Under your fingernails staining rust red,
Leaving fingerprints on countertops and the sheets of my bed.
My stubborn sickness never leaves,
But still – I grow tired of its grief.
I play cards with my parents; I drink my tea,
At night read fantasies of what the world could be.
Monthly, I call my friends – from high school.
I miss them. And what I was then;
That young girl that didn’t understand the meaning of lying,
Me? I take the bitter medicine we call trying.
Trying to talk, to reach, to break apathy’s lock.
And once I start it’s harder to stop.
Momentum carries forward – that's Newton’s first law,
Foot over foot once you open that door.
I got lost once on the way to school;
Missed my left turn and carried on,
Like a fool I carried on forward and never once turned back,
In finding my destination I forged a new path.
I think of it now and resolve to march far,
Step over step through my mind and my heart.
The sun is bright to illuminate the view;
What a lovely day to feel something new.
Community Theatre Summer Term
“It's welcoming, safe, inclusive - and creatively challenging in the very best of ways. It's also a great way of meeting very lovely, like-minded people. Working together on a creative project is an amazing feeling”- CT Member 2024.
As a collective consisting of the perfect blend of seasoned actors, and those treading the boards for the first time, She Productions’ Community Theatre has now been thriving for 3 terms over the course of a year, developing skills and growing as a group. It has been such a joy to see them support and nurture each other, and it really epitomises the word ‘community’.
They’ve risen to every challenge, from diving into writing, radio recording and creating in their very own Sitcom, to exploring, preparing and performing some of Shakespeare’s greatest monologues.
We welcome anyone who has a shared sense of collaboration, creativity and kindness into the group, and we’re really looking forward to seeing what is next for such a wonderfully talented and gorgeous group - I’ve been so proud and privileged to work with them all!
“Community theatre allows people of all backgrounds and abilities to have a chance to explore their creative sides” – CT Member 2024.
Step Up Stand Out Programme
Finally closing our summer of outreach we were excited to deliver our bespoke outreach programme, Step and Stand Out, commissioned by HETA (Humber Engineering Training Association). Designed to offer HETA learners a supportive and relaxed environment, our programme aims to ease the transition into new working environments while encouraging personal growth and resilience. During the summer we have delivered workshops for both HETA’s Transition Days and Induction Days.
Throughout the programme, participants were given the opportunity to explore their ambitions, initiative, and drive. By combating anxiety surrounding working environments, to exploring the initial anxieties of starting with HETA, to develop more confidence when meeting other learners for the first time, to develop more confidence when transitioning to a working environment.
We are really proud of the positive impact Step and Stand Out has had within the HETA community. We look forward to continuing our partnership with HETA, supporting more learners as they take their first steps towards a successful career.
As we conclude this summer of Outreach, we are committed to fostering a supportive and inclusive environment where everyone can thrive. Our programmes and workshops are just some of the ways we strive to make a positive impact in our community.
We are proud of the progress and achievements of our all our Outreach participants, and we look forward to continuing this journey together.
The She Productions Team
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