Ekow, 22, used vcashpoint funding to set up The Hoods Academy
With funding from vcashpoint, Ekow, 22, from London, is working with a group of young volunteers and 60 (yes, 60!) children at The Haringey Shed Youth Theatre. He organises the project alongside Stacey (21), Mekel (19), Kayleigh (19), and Renell (19).
“The Hoods Academy is a play/musical/general drama production. It focuses on a school where all our favourite characters from fairy tales go to ‘hone’ their skills. The story is a real amalgamation of ideas from different fairy stories, films and real-life stars, in an almost pantomime setting. Sound fun? It is! “This is a production for members of our Youth Theatre company,and ithas been (mostly) written by a group of us young people who volunteer as practitioners, group leaders and group directors for Haringey Shed.
“It’s meant to be a fun project for everyone involved, but is also meant to help members of the youth theatre who have reached the age limit of 16, providing them with a route for progression into the arts or just keeping them constructively occupied. This is our project in a really small nutshell!
“When you leave the theatre group at 16, there’s not much to do round here. By getting young people to stay on and volunteer with us, we’ve managed to keep them involved, and I think that makes a big difference. “Some of them were hanging around on the streets, getting into trouble. One in particular was having problems, but I’ve seen a huge change in him since he got involved with Hoods Academy. He’s got responsibility - making sure everyone else is doing what they should be doing. He didn’t like singing before, and now he’s getting everyone else singing.
"I asked the young people for comments for my blog, and received this digital reply: 'I think that Hoods Academy is going to be a really good show and everyone can't wait to perform it. I feel it really brings out the skills and talent that we all have and share. This will lead to a really good show this Christmas.'
“We’re down to the final rehearsals now. Are they good? Is ice cold? Is sugar sweet? Am I good looking?! The answer to all of those questions is YES! The funding from vcashpoint has helped get the project off the ground. If you feel the artistic tug, go for it, I say! I love what I do, that's why I do it.”
