By Sarah Craig
Flesher, Baker and Trustee
It’s a Sunday evening and I’ve been invited along to Dundee Youth Music Theatre’s (DYMT) weekly rehearsals for two of their upcoming shows – Chess and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
As a Trustee of the Nine Incorporated Trades, I had recently considered a funding application from DYMT, an application which was unanimously approved by my fellow Trustees.
For those new to the Trades, we strive to support groups in the City who further the advancement of the arts, heritage, culture or science, the advancement of citizenship or community development, the prevention or relief of poverty, the advancement of education and the advancement of health.
The Trustees of the General Fund Charity make grants and donations to numerous organisations throughout the year. Preference is always given to charities based in and around Dundee, particularly focused on supporting youth and the vulnerable and disadvantaged.
So, how does DYMT fit the brief and what does our donation mean to the young people who are part of the collective?
As I walk into the rehearsal space, there’s an air of excitement. Two young men fly past me rehearsing their choreographed dance steps in the hallway, and the musical director is playing a piano as groups of voices – altos, sopranos and baritones warm up their vocal chords.
What strikes me is how inclusive the group is. There’s no labels here – every young person is dressed in a DYMT hoodie, in a deliberate move to ensure everyone is equal. Equal but not the same. DYMT is diverse. Not only do they welcome young people from every school across the City, they embrace those with disabilities, those who have struggled academically or with their mental health, and those who have faced adversity.
Between sessions I sit down with several of the young people to find out just how DYMT has made a difference to their lives.
Having worked with young people in a professional setting before, I was all too familiar with the struggle of trying to prise mobile phones out of hands in order to have a meaningful dialogue, not the case with the young people I met at DYMT. In fact, I did not see one mobile phone in a sea of some sixty young people.
Every single one of them was polite, could hold a conversation whilst looking you in the eye, and spoke with such clarity, passion and a raw honesty. What they shared with me, blew me away.
One young person I spoke to lost her mother last year. DYMT was her safe haven, a place she could come to grieve, a place where she could escape reality, be herself, whilst having the support of her musical theatre tribe – friends for life. Another explained that he had kidney failure as a young child and how his near-death experience made him grasp every opportunity he could. One young person had overcome depression and suicidal thoughts entirely through the opportunities and support network DYMT had given him. Another had experienced loneliness having been abandoned by friends and bullied at school just for being different.
Two of the young people, aged 24 and 26, had come through the ranks of DYMT and had gone on to study drama and dance. Both have stayed with DYMT because of the sheer enjoyment they get from it, but are also now mentoring the next generation. They talked about how skills developed during their younger years in DYMT had given them confidence in handling job interviews and courage to express their emotions and feelings without judgement.
I was impressed. Impressed by how confident the young people came across. Confident, not cocky.
While performing, the young people must face their fear of being in the spotlight, which is a big step for many. However, through the process of rehearsing and performing in front of an audience, they learn to overcome their fears and gain confidence in their abilities. This sense of confidence extends beyond the stage, as the young people start to feel more confident in other areas of their lives, whether it’s in the classroom, at home, or with friends. Differences are celebrated and accepted not dismissed.
DYMT really is so much more than treading the boards. It has helped shape the development of young people in our City in a profound and lasting way, helping them build a range of valuable life skills – learning lines and words, turning up on time, teamwork, accepting feedback (good and bad), being active, and socialising with new people. Skills that will stay with them long after the final curtain call.
The Nine Incorporated Trades of Dundee is proud to make a donation to help groups like DYMT survive and thrive. If you have ever been to a DYMT performance, you already know the standard is exceptionally high. Having had a sneak preview of Chess and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, the bar is set equally as high. Tickets are on sale now!
Chess The Musical, Dundee Rep Theatre
https://dundeerep.co.uk/events/chess-dundee-youth-music-theatre
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Whitehall Theatre
https://dundeetickets.whitehalltheatre.com/ticketbooth/shows/1173659909