Middleton's Little Theatre

ITV Region: Granada  /  Year: 2010

Unit 2 Pioneer Mill
Morton Street
Middleton
Manchester
M24 6AN

Website: www.popstarsacademy.co.uk

This new project would change a semi- derelict mill next to our existing centre into a multi-purpose rehearsal space for use by the young people who attend Middleton Popstars Academy (MPA). It will have a stage area with lighting and sound equipment, dressing room area and an audience space which in time, as and when funds permit, will have tiered seating, and a wardrobe design and making department. It will be used by MPA to provide workshops in drama, dance and music making primarily for children and young people, along with training in stage technical skills and scenery and costume design and making for them and also for other members of the community.
This project has been driven by the ambitions of the MPA young people who now want to put on full musicals – the younger ones want to start with Annie and the older ones have a long list, as well as wanting workshops that we cannot provide due to space constraints. We are bursting at the seams in our existing centre due to the numbers of young people who want to join us.
We have a track record for a project like this – our existing MPA Centre next door was created from a similar sized space that was also semi-derelict at the time and on a very small budget and we are just about to open our new garden that has been made from a loading bay area.
Middleton’s Little Theatre will also be available to other groups from around the area for their rehearsals or events as our research shows many of them are having difficulty in finding suitable or affordable venues.
MPA is a community performing arts group that is open to young people from five years old, no matter what their abilities, disabilities, advantage or disadvantage. Every young person will have the opportunity to create, achieve, perform and enjoy. The MPA workshops are easily affordable by everyone. They build the young people’s self discipline, self esteem, self belief, and self confidence along with their communication, interpersonal and team working skills. As a result, our young people not only have improved performance at school, but can also take part in ASDAN accredited learning through MPA.
Performance is a major part of MPA’s work- in 2010 the young people will have given over 40 performances in a range of settings from older people’s care homes, Francis House Hospice, and local charity nights to community events such as the Prestwich and Middleton Christmas Lights switch-ons and a gala night at the Oldham Colesium. Apart from the last which was a fundraiser for MPA, the performances are given for free. To make sure that every young person can take part, we provide all the costumes from our carefully- looked after wardrobe.