The Bush Theatre
Read how the Bush Theatre’s charity is opening up the world of theatre for young people in West London.
Drama can be hugely beneficial to children and young people. As well as being a lot of fun, it can boost confidence and self-esteem, increase communication skills, and encourage teamwork, collaboration and empathy.
However, drama and other expressive arts are not always taught in schools. Between 2010 and 2023, there was a 42% decline in expressive arts GCSE entries. More than 40% of English state schools stopped offering music and drama GCSEs altogether. Much of the decline is due to cuts in funding, with schools in disadvantaged areas struggling to make up the financial shortfall.
Angela Wachner is the Interim Executive Director and Co-CEO of The Alternative Theatre Company, which trades as the Bush Theatre. She says, “Drama provision in schools is being eroded across the country, so there’s a real need for better access. It’s also clear that people from a global majority or lower income background are underrepresented in all parts of the industry.”
Opening up the world of theatre
The Bush Theatre is working to ensure more young people are able to access drama and theatre, whether that’s through acting, writing or being able to attend live performances.
The charity runs the Bush Theatre and has two Young Companies – one for teenagers aged 14 to 17 and the other for 18 to 25-year-olds. Both meet weekly. Alongside acting, the young people explore storytelling, creative writing and different roles in the theatre industry.
One Bush Young Company member, Tabby, shares, “I have grown in self-confidence hugely. I have more trust in myself and my ideas and have also developed my skills. Everyone at Bush is so genuine and it really encourages me to be the best version of myself.”
The Bush Theatre also offers work experience opportunities and runs workshops for local schools and youth groups.
Angela says, “As well as the theatrical element, it’s about participants exploring their creativity, whether that’s through drama or dance or music or something else. People, particularly younger people, are multi-skilled; they’re dancers and they make magazines and do art and write poetry and all sorts of things. That’s really exciting. We don’t ever want to hinder that creativity by saying, ‘This is how you do theatre.’”
Removing financial barriers
Financial challenges can often make it difficult, if not impossible, for young people to access theatre and drama outside school. Angela says, “Most of our community projects, including our Young Companies, are free and sometimes we’ll offer financial support to engage with a programme. We don’t want to add any additional barriers to accessing drama; there are already so many barriers in place, including a perception that theatres are only for certain people.”
West London schools are offered free tickets to performances at the Bush Theatre. As well as attending the performance, pupils are able to take part in a pre-show workshop and a Q&A with the cast and creative team.
Championing unheard voices
The Bush Theatre’s mission is to “champion, uplift and support unheard voices.” The charity is mainly led by people from a global majority background and it platforms diverse cultures, stories and identities. Angela says, “A lot of opportunities have disappeared in the sector since COVID, and in the context of an increasingly more challenging economic climate. Many people have had to leave the arts because they can’t rely on it for a career anymore. Our charitable aim is to be the giver of opportunities for people so they can take their first step into theatre, or become an audience member, or find out what their own creativity looks like. We’re really conscious of not losing the small gains that we’ve made in terms of increasing diversity within the sector across multiple different metrics, and we want to continue our progress.”
Springboarding careers
Support doesn’t end once a young person has aged out of the Bush Young Companies. Many former young members join the Bush Writers’ Group or take part in adult productions. Six Bloom Bursaries are offered each year, enabling young people who are particularly talented to access financial support and mentorship.
Angela says, “Coral Wylie, who was a member of our Bush Young Company, has just had their debut play staged, which is testament to how well our programmes link together to create a pipeline for people to progress their careers and explore their creativity.
“Our work as a producer of new plays is well-known by local and national audiences. Perhaps less understood, is that to provide everything required to nurture our artists and audiences, we must actively fundraise to secure over half a million pounds every year. We are incredibly grateful to all those who give what they can to support all we hope to achieve together.”
Hammersmith United Charities
We awarded the Bush Theatre a £5,000 grant towards its community work, helping to fund opportunities for 443 young people. Angela shares, “Hammersmith United Charities are really easy to work with. They’re very engaged with the work we’re doing and very supportive.”
Get involved
You can find out more about the Bush Theatre on its website. If you’re interested in joining one of the Bush Young Companies, please email community@bushtheatre.co.uk.
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