MEDIA RELEASE 

YORKSHIRE STUDENTS TAKE CENTRE STAGE IN NATIONAL THEATRE'S

DEAR ENGLAND SCHOOLS PROJECT

 

Inspired by James Graham's Dear England, Leeds-based students recently participated in workshops with Leeds Heritage Theatres (LHT) and the National Theatre, exploring themes of identity, legacy, and aspiration. Delivered in schools across the city, including Lawnswood School, Leeds West Academy, and Temple Moor High School, the sessions invited young people to consider their own futures, echoing the pressures and questions of purpose faced by the players under Gareth Southgate's leadership.

 

This work formed Leeds' contribution to the National Theatre's nationwide engagement project, funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. The initiative accompanied the UK tour of Dear England, which recently visited the Leeds Grand Theatre and sparked the city's creative learning activity. Overall, the programme provides activities and resources for around 500 children aged 11–16 in each tour city, linking local schools with the show's themes and the 80th anniversary of VE Day.

 

Looking back, Catherine Hayward, Learning and Engagement Manager, reflected on the impact: "We're proud to have worked with the National Theatre to bring world-class theatre and meaningful learning experiences to young people in Leeds. Thanks to subsidised tickets, nearly 900 students saw live theatre, many for the very first time. Through the workshops, they had the space to create, question, and respond to the ideas stirred by the production. At LHT, we believe in theatre's ability to broaden horizons, and this project truly showed what that can mean for young people."

 

Bringing the Project to Life in Leeds 

Over five days, the team delivered eight workshops in seven schools across seven wards, including five priority areas for LHT. In total, 240 students took part. Alongside this, 894 students from across Yorkshire - 424 of them from Leeds - attended performances of Dear England at Leeds Grand Theatre through a discounted schools offer.

These workshops formed part of a wider national invitation for students to explore legacy, history, identity, and aspiration. Drawing on James Graham's short film The Next Morning, which imagines young people waking up the day after VE Day, students were asked: "What do you want for all of your next mornings?"

Sarah Winstanly-Thorpe, Learning and Engagement Officer and workshop facilitator, said: "It was an inspiring week. The young people were so moved by the show that the follow-up workshops really encouraged them to express themselves and share their ideas and aspirations. They gave me such hope for the future with the themes they explored and how creatively and eloquently they shared them. Weeks like this remind me how vital the arts are in helping young people express themselves and feel a sense of belonging in the theatre, where their ideas and voices are heard."

Olivia Dobney, Lead Teacher of Drama from Cockburn Laurence Calvert Academy, praised the work by saying: "I just wanted to thank you again for facilitating such a brilliant workshop with our young people. They were enthralled by the whole process and very excited to tell me all about it afterwards.". Debbi Attwell, Drama teacher from Ruth Gorse Academy, added: "It was brilliant. The students loved it - as did I! There was so much they took from it, particularly in relation to how the activities you facilitated can support them in the creation and development of their pieces. Here's hoping we can work with you again in the future."

The partnership with the National Theatre continues LHT's mission to make the arts accessible to everyone and to form lasting connections with local schools and communities.

 

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