Hull Truck Theatre has been awarded a BBC Children in Need grant of £42,000 to run school holiday performance projects over the next three years, to help make a difference to the lives of young people in Hull who may not otherwise have access to the arts.

Hull Truck Theatre currently runs ticketed school holiday activities, including workshops with young people aged 8–14 to develop their own ideas into performances over one week. The BBC Children in Need grant allows the theatre to run a series of similar workshops each year from 2015 to 2018. Hull Truck Theatre will work with The Children’s University Trust in Hull to identify 40 young people who would benefit most from taking part. Through performance they will develop skills such as teamwork, effective communication and creative thinking, but will also have fun and make friends.

By engaging with the same group over the projects' duration, the theatre can contribute to the creative development of the young people on a long-term basis. The continued relationship will allow the participants to establish a connection with Hull Truck Theatre’s work, the staff, and the theatre building as a space where they feel welcome.  

The theme of the upcoming projects will be the idea of home; what 'home' means in terms of a building, a feeling, a sense of belonging, what it may mean to the children involved, and what it means to be a part of the wider community in Hull. It will also give the participants a place in Hull City of Culture 2017, regardless of their disposable income or accessibility needs.

In 2013/14 Hull Truck Theatre ran five pilot engagement projects, also funded by BBC Children in Need, working with a wide range of young people including children from refugee families, looked after children and teen mothers. 75% of these young people wanted to continue taking part, so Hull Truck Theatre set about raising funds for projects over a longer period of time.

All BBC Children in Need grants go to projects working with children and young people living in the UK who may be affected by homelessness, neglect, abuse or poverty, or those who have faced challenges in their lives such as serious illness, disabilities and psychological disorders. 

Jill Adamson, Hull Truck Theatre’s Director of Engagement and Learning, said: “I'm absolutely thrilled to have been successful in our BBC Children in Need bid which will allow us to work with children who do not normally access arts provision outside of school. If we are to make a significant difference to the lives of young people through arts participation, it’s vital that we are able to do more than just whet their appetite. This kind of support can make a very real difference to what we can offer and to the impact it makes.”