I am so lucky to be a part of this! - 22.09.09

Today was my final day working with Vamos Theatre. What a truly amazing experience it has been!

I feel so blessed to have been able to have the summer I’ve had. I’ve worked with a local director on a short film, I’ve been to London for two weeks training with National Youth Theatre, I’ve moved into my first home away from home and I’ve worked with Vamos for a wonderful three weeks!

There are quite literally not enough words to try and describe just how happy and thankful and fortunate I feel to have been able to do the things I have done, not only this summer but the days, weeks, months and years leading up to it!

How lucky must one girl be to be able to have her hobby as her occupation? Okay so I haven’t been paid for any of the things I’ve done this summer, in fact for some things it’s actually cost me to do, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Nothing can even begin to compare to the feeling I get when I walk on stage and begin to perform to a live audience, nothing is as encouraging as the laugher of a child or the gasp from the audience as I lift the top member of a human pyramid and begin walking around stage with them rested on my shoulders. Nothing is as powerful to me as knowing that what I’m performing right now is changing someone’s life. Knowing that I have the ability to give a group of people a voice, even if only for a moment, that is a moment longer than they had before.

To be able to take something from the past and bring it back to life, even for just three performances on one day, is a wonderful gift to give to someone, a gift that you know shall always be treasured forever after. To be able to teach children things from a past whose living links have almost all died now is a thrilling encouragement to continue what I’m doing.

Ever since I was a little girl I’ve been in love with the power of performance. How something so simple can say so many things to so many different people in so many different ways. How one piece of drama can cause so many debates about a single subject. How it can give people who are afraid a voice and the strength they need to carry on, and most importantly, how it gives people the power to believe; believe that anything really is possible.

My biggest influence as I was growing up, as cheesy and big a cliché as it may sound was Disney films. They taught me to laugh and they taught me to cry. They gave me values no person ever had the ability to teach me at that age. I’ve been able to relate to them and learn new things from them as I’ve grown up. They gave me my love for singing and my passion to believe that you are able to achieve anything if you just believe. They’ve helped me stay young when I’ve needed to be a child and they’ve helped me grow up when I’ve needed to take the lead, and no matter how old I get or how many times I watch one I still feel the same magic I felt the very first time I saw it. To me, that is what performing is all about.

Finding the audiences hearts and capturing their minds. To inspire. To believe. To feel. To hate. To laugh. To love. To cry. To agree. To disagree. To see something from someone else’s point of view and to be able to understand when you couldn’t before.

Drama is such a powerful way into so many peoples hearts and minds, and I’m a part of that. I can’t thank everyone who gives me these opportunities enough. They’re changing my life everyday by letting me change others lives.

Thank you x