Outwood Academy Freeston gear up for their performance of 'Empatheatre'!

Speak Up students from Outwood Academy Freeston are currently preparing to share their brilliant performance 'Empatheatre' with the Freeston Foundation and staff!

Speak Up is a unique initiative that brings together secondary school students, local artists, and teachers to co-create artistic responses to the issues that matter most to them, in collaboration with Theatre Royal Wakefield and The National Theatre . Here are some of their thoughts about the programme:

“If you had told me two years ago I would be standing on a stage performing like this I would never have believed it. But Speak Up has been amazing for me. I have learned how to be confident and how to express myself in a way I never thought was possible.”

“I would never join the drama, signing or musicals groups because they scare me. Speak Up isn't just about performing and making shows. It's a way to tackle a problem creatively and that's why I have been coming for two years.”

“I don't feel like I fit in at school. But speak up is different. We are like a family. Everyone is welcome and it's so much more inclusive than other parts of school. I just feel like these guys are my friends. We support each other and make room for each other. I don't want it to end.”

“I think covid affected our age group a lot more than people think. I lost my social skills and I didn't want to do anything after lockdown. Speak Up sessions have made me come out of my shell. I don't think people realise how much teenagers were affected by the lockdown. Speak Up is the only place I feel heard and safe and happy.”

“A lot of us are neurodiverse. It's kind of a big deal that we are doing this, performing and speaking up. I feel so proud of us and I have so much respect for the others in the group. That's our way of doing things. It's different.”