Sparking an initial interest

The Tacchi-Morris Arts Centre in Taunton, Somerset first opened in 2000 and continues to share the legacy of world peace and pacifism that its namesake, Kathleen Tacchi-Morris, promoted throughout her life. The centre was designed to inspire the community to participate in arts and theatre activities and to be used as a space for creative learning, sharing the site with Heathfield Community School (where I was at school) and performing arts sixth-form college The SPACE. Drama, dance and music lessons are conducted every day in our professional studios and students also get the chance to perform on our stage.

Overwhelmingly, all of the students could not fault the experience provided, and most noted that getting to see the shows was one of the best parts of volunteering

Many of the students also volunteer their services and help out during our many evening performances as valued members of our front of house staff. Nicky Morgan, co-ordinator of our volunteers, tells me: “The job entails greeting customers, checking tickets and handling money by selling ice creams and programmes during the interval. We train them in customer care, teach them a good work ethic and team-working skills that they can use to boost their CVs. We’ve also got half a dozen Year 10s who are volunteering as part of their Duke of Edinburgh bronze award.”

During my own time at Heathfield, I was a front of house volunteer and I believe that having access to professional theatre shows for free every time I volunteered sparked my interest in theatre. I have been talking to some of the dedicated student volunteers who greet audience members to see what they make of the volunteering experience and whether this has had an impact on their enjoyment of theatre. Overwhelmingly, all of the students could not fault the experience provided, and most noted that getting to see the shows was one of the best parts of volunteering. Morgan, a Year 7 student working on his second shift, said it was the thought of giving back to the school and helping out the community that made him want to sign up. Alan, another Year 7, agreed: “You can help people when you’re volunteering and it’s nice being part of the community.” It was so wonderful to hear these young students recognising the value of being a part of a community, and the idea that they wanted to give back to the school was refreshing.

We also offer more advanced volunteering opportunities for students from The SPACE. They get the chance to help out backstage, acting as stage managers and runners as well as supporting the technical team with lighting and sound. I spoke to two students who were runners backstage at the BTEC Performing Arts musical. One student Alice said: “As SPACE students we’re allowed to help out with any show and it looks really good on our CVs because you’re putting yourself out there to support the centre. You get to learn new things that you might not have known. We don’t look into what goes on backstage as much in our course so it’s great to have the opportunity to experience both sides of the performance.”

It is clear that all the students who volunteer gain a vast amount of experience by working within a theatre environment, becoming a valued part of our community and most importantly, having fun watching the shows. The most heart-warming comment for me was from a student who said: “If I hadn’t had the chance to volunteer, then I wouldn’t have had any interest in theatre or the arts.” This just goes to show the importance of allowing young people the opportunity to volunteer and if we can encourage even a handful of students to pursue a career in arts and theatre, then I believe we have done a sterling job. It certainly worked for me.

Katherine Edwardes is Marketing Intern at the Tacchi-Morris Arts Centre.
www.tacchi-morris.com