President Kennedy School in Coventry is piloting a new online performing arts programme developed by The Share Foundation, giving students the opportunity to develop confidence, creativity and practical performance skills through flexible, accessible learning.
President Kennedy School in Coventry has begun piloting a new programme designed to introduce young people to the performing arts. Stepping Forward: Explore the Performing Arts is a flexible online series developed by youth charity The Share Foundation, giving young people new skills they can take into adulthood.
Arts enrichment is widely recognised for its lifelong benefits, including building confidence, wellbeing and resilience. However, evidence shows that with schools under constant pressure, time and funding are often directed elsewhere. A report from Child of the North and the Centre for Young Lives revealed that 93% of UK students are now missing out on arts education because of chronic underfunding. The research also found that participation in extracurricular arts activities has fallen sharply since the pandemic, dropping from 46% to 37%. The organisation is calling for creativity to be embedded within an inclusive school curriculum, a recommendation fully supported by The Share Foundation.
Created in partnership with Tring Park School for the Performing Arts and the Rothschild Foundation, the online series gives young people aged 13 to 17 the opportunity to learn acting, singing, dancing and backstage arts skills in a relaxed and inclusive way. After launching last year exclusively for young people in care, the programme is now available to all young people, either at home or through schools, education settings and youth organisations across the UK.
Kelly Walsh, Leader of Performing Arts at President Kennedy School, has been trialling the programme with 23 Year 9 students and says the benefits are already becoming clear.
"Since starting this programme in April, students are already gaining confidence and stepping out of their comfort zone to try things they may have never experienced before. They are engaged with the course, working together with their peers, whilst discovering their own voices, which will help build resilience and key skills that they will carry with them far beyond the classroom. The transformation, even at this early stage, has been remarkable."
The programme costs Β£30 per student, with discounted rates available for group bookings, such as an entire school class or year group. The charity is committed to ensuring young people in care continue to receive free access to the programme and the opportunity to benefit from the 'earn as you learn' element. All proceeds from the programme will be reinvested into supporting its core offering for young people in care.
Featuring industry professionals including Zoe Lister (Hollyoaks, The Worst Witch), Pandora Christie (Heart Radio), Mo Jamil (The Voice UK) and Emeka Sesay (Top Boy and The Power), the course promotes confidence, creativity and communication skills. Each episode focuses on a different theme and includes short videos, professional-led workshops, quizzes, opinion-seeking questions and practical resources to help young people develop their ideas and take their performing arts skills further.
Josie Rylance, Project Co-ordinator at The Share Foundation, said:
"We've seen incredible success with the original Stepping Forward programme through our work with local authorities, and the impact it has had on young people in care made us determined that we must open it up to all."
She added:
"We appreciate that schools are under so much pressure, but we are passionate about the enormous benefits the performing arts can bring to young people, from creativity to confidence, skills that lend themselves to all aspects of school life and beyond. With the right support in place, young people can achieve amazing things, so whether you're a teacher, youth worker, or parent, we'd love to hear from you."
Stepping Forward: Explore is designed to be flexible and easy to use for individuals, schools and youth groups. Schools and organisations can also get in touch for extra lesson ideas, delivery guidance and support resources to help them get the most out of the series.
The programme is now available to individuals, schools, education settings and youth organisations across the UK, offering more young people the opportunity to explore the performing arts in an accessible and inclusive way.
