Shakespeare at the Towers (SatT) is aiming to inspire the next generation of acting talent by donating £2,000 to Buckden CE Primary Academy to help it replace its old stage. 

The funding was awarded to Buckden Primary School through a bursary scheme run by SatT Trust, a charity which aims to encourage the performing arts and build theatre skills in the local area.

Reuben Milne, Chair of SatT Trust explained “One of the best ways to inspire young people to get involved in theatre is to get them up on stage. It’s therefore very exciting to be able to help Buckden Primary School be in a position to put on more school plays and concerts, helping a whole new generation of children experience the thrill of performing in front of an audience.”

Buckden CE Primary Academy Headteacher, Michelle Heather, added “Our old staging was rigid, bulky and totally impractical for our needs, preventing us from doing as much as we would have liked with our young people. The new staging is lightweight, modular and easy to store and move, providing the flexibility to create the right arrangement for whatever we want to use it for. 

“When we heard about the bursary offered by Shakespeare at the Towers, we jumped at the chance to apply, and were thrilled when we heard that we’d been successful. The remaining funding was raised by our wonderful PTA, aided by the supportive parent body at the school, and we’re hugely grateful to both groups for their generous support which has already made a noticeable improvement to the day to day activities of the school.”

The relationship between the two organisations has been further strengthened with the donation of some children’s costumes previously owned by Shakespeare at the Towers to Buckden Primary School, helping encourage the pupils to get involved.

Further details of bursaries and grants available from Shakespeare at the Towers can be found here.

Photo caption:  Pupils of Buckden CE Primary Academy on stage with (front LtoR) Reuben Milne, Chair of Shakespeare at the Towers; Michelle Heather, Headteacher at Buckden CE Primary Academy; John Secker, Trustee of Shakespeare at the Towers.

Copyright: Caroline Schmidt