Flexible Payment Model Enables Children’s Free Participation in Theatre

Amid reductions in arts funding, one theatre organization is adopting an innovative approach. The Memo Creative functions using a pay-what-you-can model, with its director recalling a deeply emotional experience after a child offered 20p, expressing a desire to contribute. Joanne, a parent, stated that the group, located in Newbridge, Caerphilly county, has been “transformational” for her nine-year-old daughter, Evie, who experiences anxiety and sensory processing differences. Evie commented: “I don’t really know where I’d be if I didn’t start going to the group.” Following the pandemic, Evie experienced a decline in confidence, rendering her “unrecognisable” to her family, a situation her mother described as “heartbreaking”. Subsequent to her diagnosis, it was recommended that she find an outlet for her energetic disposition, leading her to join the theatre group with a friend. Joanne remarked: “With a bit of encouragement, she was up joining in and that’s been it really. It’s been, transformational is a big word, but it’s probably quite applicable in this situation.” She added: “It’s brought back her personality – it’s brought back her confidence, it’s brought her fun.” Liam Goldsworthy, 33, a musical theatre lecturer from Blackwood and the group’s leader, stated: “South Wales is a really low-income area – very few families can afford to pay for all of the things you need to go into musical theatre.” He continued: “There is a lot of talent in south Wales and there are a lot of kids in south Wales who want to access that sort of stuff that just cannot afford to and there’s a lot of parents out there who want to do that for their children, and they can’t.” Goldsworthy presented his concept for a theatre group devoid of financial obstacles to The Memo in Newbridge. Ally Gibson, the venue director, provided the space without charge, and the group sustains itself through charity funding to cover professional teachers’ fees, also generating revenue by selling tickets for its yearly showcase. This arrangement allows the group to stage full-scale musicals, offering every participant an opportunity in the limelight. Liam stated: “It was quite small at first, with maybe eight to 10 people. Now we have 30 to 40 adults that are signed up and about 50 kids.” He added: “We’ve had to start a waiting list as we are at capacity.” He further explained: “Quite a lot of people paid nothing. And that’s fine. We don’t keep a record of who pays what we just want it to be accessible for everyone.” Ally noted that initially, approximately 20% of participants were able to contribute financially, a figure which has since increased to 50%. She also recalled: “I remember one time a child coming and giving me 20p because they wanted to give something and I found that really emotional.” She elaborated that this experience “made me realise that’s why we are doing this because they still saw value in it for them.” She observed: “The young adults are still struggling. They give what they can, but sometimes they’ll give one month, then it will be a few weeks before they can give again.” Kasey Barrett, 21, indicated that professional obligations and the prevailing cost-of-living crisis had prevented her from participating in her former theatre group. She stated: “If it did cost a lot of money every week then I probably wouldn’t be able to go, just because I wouldn’t be able to afford it.” Barrett continued: “I know for a lot of people… having an added cost just to be able to do something you love can really like affect them.” She concluded: “It can affect their mental health if they don’t get to express themselves.” For additional details on this report, viewers can access BBC Wales Live on iPlayer. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding our approach to external linking is available.