southwark theatres' education partnership

Tom Glover, FT - The Financial Times supports STEP as we feel that it plays a crucial role in bringing together theatre, education and the youth sector in our local London borough. We have seen first hand the positive impact on Southwark's young people involved in its various projects and look forward to extending our relationship into a fourth year.

Rachel Fitzgerald, Better Bankside - Better Bankside supports STEP because they play a key role in bringing two communities together that may not ordinarily meet. Through the partnership between the education sector and the theatre community that STEP facilitates, hundreds of young people are given the fantastic opportunity to discover what they’re truly capable of.

Nina Birch, Southwark Children's Services - Southwark Children’s Services works in partnership with STEP to ensure all children and young people in Southwark receive a high quality theatre provision. We believe, as stated in our Children’s and Young People’s plan 2010-2013, that children are entitled to access the variety of services offered by our numerous theatres in the borough, whether it is to experience theatre as an audience member or to participate and perform at theatre venues. STEP also supports our agenda of raising the bar for all children with many of its programmes such as: STEP Out!, STEP Young Critics, STEP Work Experience and all of the programmes on offer during the annual STEP Festival.

Coral Flood, Southwark Culture Service - STEP provides a strategic and unified creative vision, which encourages and nurtures the potential for theatre collaborations, the sharing of expertise and resources, and identifying and addressing arts educational need. It brings Southwark theatres together in a unique partnership, maximising opportunities for creativity and collaborative working. It also provides opportunities for working in partnership with other arts agencies, networks and organisations in and beyond Southwark to engage in the wider debate on creative teaching and learning and how drama and theatre can impact on education. STEP enables and promotes the best in theatre education practice, enabling long-lasting partnerships between theatres and schools and other youth providers, and real engagement in the arts for children and young people. Southwark Council's Culture Service has been a partner in STEP since its inception in 2004. We value the impact this organisation has on improving life chances of young people in Southwark through the enjoyment of culture and leisure and its contribution to educational achievement, particularly for those who would not normally have access to cultural activities.