A newly announced partnership with residential developer St George will enable Southwark charity London Bubble Theatre to continue to offer help and guidance to local young people, assisting their transition into further employment, education or training.
St George has agreed a three-year funding programme with the London Bubble Theatre's Young Theatre Makers' project, a 14-week programme for young Southwark residents who are not currently in education or employment. The training provided by the London Bubble Theatre helps young people to enhance their CVs and develop a wealth of transferrable skills to give them a competitive edge when applying for future jobs or educational courses.
Through engagement with theatre-based activities, the young people are trained to deliver workshops, and to devise and tour a show for local schools and youth groups. They also have the opportunity to take part in a bespoke employability training course formed of CV workshops, interview preparation techniques and a paid work experience placement.
Creative Director of London Bubble Theatre, Jonathan Petherbridge said: "We are delighted to be working with St George to deliver this important local initiative. Since 2012 we have seen the Young Theatre Makers' programme transform young lives: giving local people self-confidence, teamwork and leadership skills. The support from St George will enable us to work with more local young people over the next three years and help them gain the vital skills they need to excel."
St George, which is developing the iconic 170m One Blackfriars in Southwark, has created the partnership as part of its commitment to support the local community.
Managing Director of St George, Ross Faragher said: "We are delighted to be supporting the London Bubble Theatre on the Young Theatre Makers' programme. We are committed to helping young people get the skills they need for a successful future.
"St George is providing work placements and apprenticeships on the construction of One Blackfriars, and we are delighted to be supporting this initiative to inspire and engage others in the local community."
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For further information, please contact FTI Consulting:
Sian Disson T: 020 3727 1747 E: Sian.Disson@fticonsulting.com
Ollie Pratt T: 020 3727 1428 E: Ollie.Pratt@fticonsulting.com
Notes to Editor
London Bubble Theatre
London Bubble makes theatre with and for its communities. Based in Rotherhithe, the company provides an ongoing and connected programme of inclusive theatre-making for people of all ages, from babies to the elderly. This translates into approximately 900 sessions a year, working with an average of 500 people each week.
Young Theatre Makers' Programme
The Young Theatre Makers is a 14 week targeted training programme for 16 - 24 year olds who have time during the day (not in employment, education or training), designed to offer performance and leadership opportunities. The programme includes paid work experience and employability skills training.
Following intensive training, the young people deliver stimulating pieces of drama in educational and corporate settings to audiences of young people and professionals.
Between 2012 and 2015, 69 young people have participated in the programme, 52 of whom have moved into further education, employment or training. Over the same period, more than 2,000 young people have accessed a Young Theatre Makers' outreach activity in their setting and fourteen commissions have been delivered to the private and public sector.
St George
St George is proud to be a member of the Berkeley Group, London's leading mixed use developer. We regenerate brownfield land to create thriving new communities in attractive landscaped environments.
Since 2000 St George has delivered over 8,730 new homes; more than 2,400 of which are affordable; 836,000 sq ft of commercial floor space and 83,000 sq ft of community space, as well as 30 acres of open space.
In 2002, St George was the first residential developer to be granted the Queen's Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development. The Berkeley Group as a whole received this prestigious accolade in 2008 and again in 2014.
Each home St George delivers creates or sustains 5.6 jobs.
One Blackfriars
Planning permission was granted for One Blackfriars in December 2012. The development comprises:
• An iconic 170m tower designed by Ian Simpson Architects with a viewing lounge on the 32nd floor for the local community and businesses
• 273 new homes
• A boutique 161 bedroom hotel to be operated by Amerimar
• A landscaped public square
• 14,000 sq ft of commercial space for new shops, cafes and restaurants
The development is providing £29 million for affordable housing in the borough; half of which has already been paid.
St George is committed to working with the communities where we develop. The One Blackfriars development will support 25 apprentices as well as providing work placements and training for 130 unemployed Southwark residents.