Community Press Release:
Little Downham Youth Club has taken the group one step further, successfully diversifying into a youth theatre and raising over £500 in ticket sales for future projects.
The cast of Youth Club members aged between 8 and 14 years of age staged their first pantomime “Cinderella and Rockerfella” on January 28th to a delighted audience of 120 people in Little Downham Village Hall.
The group, established in 2006, decided last year to take a different approach from the traditional Wednesday evening Youth Club format by setting up the “Youth Acts Up” drama and musical theatre workshop. Volunteers from the community set themselves the challenge of helping children develop their confidence and skills broadening their knowledge of the many different career options available in the world of theatre, both on and off the stage.
Carol Hebbard, assistant to Director Becky Green, and Youth Worker for Little Downham Youth Club explains, “Most of the cast, children from Little Downham and Littleport schools, had never acted or performed in front of an audience before. Many were very shy and nervous but they worked extremely hard. We are immensely proud to see how their confidence has grown in such a short space of time; they absolutely brought the house down with their fantastic performances on the night.”
The project proved to be a community effort, with parents and volunteers helping the Youth Group with props, scenery, makeup, lighting and sound. Ely Town Crier, Avril Hayter-Smith, aptly stepped into the role of Town Crier in the pantomime. Local amateur dramatic groups including Littleport Players and Campaign Amateur Theatre in Ely offered coaching and costumes. Funding was provided by East Cambridgeshire District Council, Littleport Rotary Club and Cambridgeshire County Council’s Community Reach Fund. Money raised will help the group to offer more opportunities to local youngsters as it embarks upon the next production later this year.
For more information on Little Downham Youth Group please visit the Facebook page www.facebook.com/littledownhamyouthgroup
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