Manifesto: Building Belonging
Happy 40th birthday to Theatre Peckham, who recently completed four decades of providing for their local community and beyond. To achieve another 40 years of sterling work, they have launched a manifesto which calls for ‘every young person to have an affordable place to belong, create and progress’, writes Michael Holland.
Local MP, the Rt Hon. Miatta Fahnbulleh MP, Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, and patron of Theatre Peckham, invited the theatre, and many of those that have been part of its success, to a Parliamentary Reception at the Houses of Parliament, where the great and the good gave speeches that spoke of what Theatre Peckham had done for them. She herself said, “The arts are under huge pressure – for funding, for facilities – and we have to invest… Please know that in me and my team, you have a set of people who will be shouting at the top of our voices about the support and the need for government and policymakers to wrap their arms around the arts.”
One young boy recalled being taken there as a shy child aged just three, and now, 12 years later, he was in Parliament talking to a group of adults, oozing confidence.
Local resident and patron, Jenny Agutter OBE, told of the real need for Theatre Peckham, and why it should be funded for another 40 years. Dr Anni Domingo, Theatre Peckham Chair, a fireball of energy, spoke of its achievements and what it still hopes to do.
A young woman, Polly Green, who had honed her singing and songwriting skills at Theatre Peckham, sang one of her own songs; a full-of-fire rapper, Behkam Salehani, who had fought and won many battles to get where he is now, performed one of his.
We listened to impressive stats about the work that goes on there, and not all of it is about what you see on a stage; there are workshops, work in schools, and creative activity that is not aiming towards a production. I spoke to funders and trustees who were all very much involved with where their time and money goes and all very happy with what they see happening. One woman revealed she began volunteering eight years ago and now works there full time. ‘Theatre Peckham draws you in,’ she said laughing, ‘and then you’re hooked.’
These are the very people that have made Theatre Peckham what it is, and what Manifesto: Building Belonging wants to create in the future. Its central proposition is that young people need somewhere to go, have something meaningful to do, and routes that allow their talent to grow. It calls for affordable, sustained creative opportunities beyond the school day and for practical barriers such as fees, travel, food, and access needs to be addressed.
Of course, that all costs money, so long-term investment is required. The manifesto asks the Government to:
- Apply a Somewhere to Go test with progression built in. Make sure youth and enrichment investment provides affordable, sustained opportunities beyond the school day and shows young people a credible next step.
- Fund trusted local cultural organisations for the long term. Use multi-year revenue funding to support practitioners, safeguarding, access costs, and the organisational capacity that keeps participation consistent.
- Recognise creative talent pathways. Connect first participation, training, development, and new work to further education, employment, and professional opportunity.
I have seen many productions at Theatre Peckham, and what stands out to me is the quality of the work, and that you can really see the community reflected on the stage and in the audience. That is what community theatre is about, but Theatre Peckham is much more than that. It is a lifeline to many and deserves to be allowed to carry on doing all the work it does now.
Dr Suzann McLean MBE, CEO and Artistic Director, Theatre Peckham, spoke of how “online safety matters, but young people also need a positive offline offer: trusted adults, meaningful activity, and places where they are known, challenged, and supported. Somewhere to go is the starting point. The possibility of going somewhere – into further learning, work, or leadership – is how talent meets opportunity.”
There were some extremely important people in that room, people close to the absolute heart of power and within touching distance of the purse strings. I know they were listening intently, so I hope they go back and report to the Ministers how it’s not more prisons we need, but more money for Theatre Peckham and places just like it.
www.theatrepeckham.co.uk: https://www.theatrepeckham.co.uk
