There I was, stood by myself on the biggest stage I’d ever been on, with a hot spot light shining down on my face, the light so bright I could barely see the audience. This feeling of being alone, yet with the knowledge that eyes merely metres away are watching you in anticipation, was one of the scariest things I’d ever done. An air of expectation awaited me and with the piano intro coming to an end it was but moments before I had to start singing, in front of my entire family who were sat in the audience.
Being on stage is both nerve racking and empowering. This was my first appearance on stage with a microphone and an audience, at the age of 10 in my local community hall as part of a Christmas amdram production, and now, 15 years later, you’d have difficulty getting me to shut up.
The entire process of putting on a production, from designs and rehearsals to production and performance, is a fantastic experience for both the performer and the audience. I’m not sure I was an awfully talented singer (and I gave this up many years ago, you may be relieved to hear) but talent wasn’t crucially important. It was the performance, the putting together of a show developed by a team of dedicated performers and rehearsed over months and months for a paying audience. The buzz is brilliant, the nerves a mere memory, the experience potentially life changing.
Community theatre plays an important part in many communities across the country and is usually used as a vehicle for empowerment of either communities as a whole or of individuals performing within it, boosting their confidence, increasing their skill set and giving them an exciting experience to feel proud of.
Last week these memories came back to me with a thump as I sat drinking a pot of tea with Cllr Philippa Davey, the Labour councillor for Stoke ward. Philippa, who is a big hit herself with Stoke constituents, was telling me how her training was going in preparation for the half marathon. I barely run for a bus so I listened in awe as I was told how soon the marathon was (September 18) and how little time Philipa had had to train.
With the training schedule aside I asked Philippa what she was raising money for. The mood suddenly became a little more sombre as I was told about the All Stars Theatre Group, a volunteer-run community theatre group supporting people with learning difficulties and mental and physical disabilities in Plymouth. The group is so successful they have a waiting list of over 100 willing performers and Social Services wanting to refer more still.
The group, which has run for five years, has survived off of donations and grants to pay its way, being fortunate enough to receive £5, 000 back in 2010 from the Devon Community Foundation and the Drake Foundation. The money has, however, run out and the group is desperate to find funding in order to keep producing community theatre for the community and indeed the performers.
Philippa therefore decided she would run the half marathon to try and raise the money for them, and a brilliant job she’s doing too. But for all of the enthusiasm both of us knew that such fundraising isn’t sustainable and the All Starts Theatre Group will face the same trouble year on year. In these difficult times of austerity and Government spending cuts their future looks bleak.
I’ve therefore decided to shamelessly plug Philippa’s campaign to sustainably fund the group and I hope that such plugging will inspire you to donate in whichever way you can and with whatever amount you can.
Philippa is not only looking for marathon sponsors but for 100 or so people to agree to set up a standing order of £5 per month (or for whatever amount you can afford) so that the group can continue year on year.
To find out how to donate to this important campaign, email me on dar...@darren-jones.co.uk
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