Islington’s Pleasance Theatre Trust has unveiled plans to launch an ambitious arts-based youth engagement programme with a £47,000 grant from the Mayor of London’s Young Londoner’s fund.
The project will deliver 14 months of arts engagement for young people aged 14-21, centred on the Market Estate near Pleasance’s headquarters.
“We want to give young people the opportunity to express themselves creatively and to have a say about their area. This series of projects would create a dialogue across the community,” Nic Connaughton, head of theatre said.
Those participating in the Market Project will be led in sessions and creative mentoring with a view to building their transferrable theatre-related skills such as debate, resilience, creativity and community engagement.
Having undergone recent regeneration efforts, the Market Estate is a natural anchor for the project. Working with the estate and local community centres will enable Pleasance to “meet and work with young people who may never have considered coming to the theatre itself,” Mr Connaughton says.
The project will culminate with a performance event for the local community in late 2019.
