Salisbury Playhouse’s Stage ’65 Youth Theatre is delighted to announce that 27 young people achieved their prestigious Bronze Arts Award in 2008. They received their awards for their hard work on Stage ‘65’s sell out production of Oliver! earlier this year.

The Arts Award is a nationally recognised qualification encouraging young people’s development as artists and arts leaders. Young people aged 11-25 of all abilities and interests can take part in the Arts Award programme and can gain their award in any art form. This is the first time Salisbury Playhouse has taken part in the scheme since it was introduced nationally in 2007.

In order to gain their Bronze Arts Award the young people in the company had to keep a portfolio of their experience as they went through the process of preparing and staging the exciting production. They also had to conduct research into their chosen art form and present their findings to their peers.

Jamie Eldridge, aged 13 from Salisbury, promptly signed for the Arts Award with the support of Salisbury Playhouse. To gain his Bronze Arts Award Jamie worked on, documented and reported on the production of Oliver and also wrote a review of the play. He also had to teach arts skills and do research into his arts hero, actor Johnny Depp.

He says, “Gaining a Bronze in the Arts Award has helped with my social skills and made me more organised, as I had to set my own deadlines. I also found that having to get a point across to my friends and other young people improved my communication skills. Doing the Arts Award with help from Stage ’65 has really made me come out of myself and feel much more confident.”

Gaining an Arts Award shows young people’s commitment to their chosen art form, self motivation in developing their skills and gives them communication, planning and evaluation experience. It is these abilities that colleges, universities and employers are seeking, as many now recognize the Arts Award as an additional qualification. Jamie and a number of the other young people who gained their Bronze Arts Award would now like to go on to achieve their Silver Arts Award.

The Arts Award is open to any young person who uses their creative talents in obvious and less obvious ways.

To find out more about the Arts Award please go to www.artsaward.org.uk

To find out more about Salisbury Playhouse visit www.salisburyplayhouse.com