Stepping Forward — Performing Arts For Life
A guide for local authorities and others working with young people in care
— please let us know if your local authority would be interested in this new programme for 2025, and if there are already performing arts opportunities for young people in care in your area.
contact: natasha.richmond@sharefound.org
1. What is Stepping Forward?
Stepping Forward is an interactive introduction to the performing arts — acting, singing, music and dancing. It will be an online pre-recorded programme with interactive elements designed for young people in care aged 13-17 years, to be launched in early 2025.
2. Who will be able to access the programme?
The programme will be accessible by care-experienced young people aged 13-17 years from phones, laptops or tablets, and it will be hosted on this website.
3. How can the programme be accessed?
A young person in care with a starter capital account (Junior ISA or Child Trust Fund) registered with The Share Foundation and in a designated range of local authorities, will be able to access the Stepping Forward programme directly. It is essential that they share this interest with a key adult such as their Carer, Social Worker or Virtual School Adviser.
4. What is the programme?
The programme will take the form of six 60-minute videos containing 30 minutes of filming and 30 minutes of interactive learning. The interactive learning following each five-minute segment will allow the young person to type into the programme answers to a range of questions. Content uploaded and answers submitted will be reviewed and once validated will both trigger an incentive payment and also enable them to progress to the next stage of the programme. It is being developed in partnership with Tring Park School (see (12) below), and being designed and delivered by production company Particle6.
5. How will young people benefit from engagement in the programme?
The programme will open the door to many experiences and opportunities across the Performing Arts. The incentivised learning programme will not only provide financial benefits, but will also support their skills, knowledge and understanding of what is required by employers for now and the future. They may also have the potential to link to activities that are being organised in your local area.
6. How can they access face-to-face experiences in the performing arts?
There are a growing number of performing arts opportunities for young people across the country and, in the months following launch, local authority access will relate mainly to those working with these opportunities. It is important that young people are supported by a key adult in the process of approaching and joining Arts activities in their community. This could be a teacher, a Virtual School Adviser, a Social Worker, or a carer. A key group for this interest will be the Virtual School who may be able to signpost them safely to known groups and organisation.
7. How much does Stepping Forward programme cost?
The Stepping Forward programme will be free for all young people in care continuously for over one year and who are aged 13 – 17. There is also no cost to the supporting key adult(s) and it has been designed to complement and support existing performing arts programmes and the Personal Education Plan.
8. How long does it take to complete Stepping Forward?
The programme has been designed to recognise that each individual will have their own unique starting point in the performing arts. It is structured to allow young people to progress at their own pace whilst encouraging an interest in experiencing the performing arts alongside other young people and adults within their local living community. As such, the Stepping Forward programme can take as little, or as much time they want to give to it.
9. What are the incentives?
Details will be provided at launch in early 2025.
10. Who is The Share Foundation?
The Share Foundation is a registered charity that is authorised by the Department for Education to set up and manage Junior ISAs for children and young people in care under the age of 18 who do not have a Child Trust Fund, and to manage Child Trust Funds where applicable. It has been running the Department for Education’s savings/investment scheme for Care-Experienced children and young people since 2012.
11. What is Stepladder Plus?
Stepladder Plus is a programme provided by The Share Foundation for building the life skills for young people in care aged 15 to 17: six steps incorporating literacy, numeracy and financial education. It's available throughout the United Kingdom, and provides incentives.
In order to help young people to achieve their potential and enjoy adult life, The Share Foundation provides financial education through the Stepladder Plus programme: it’s a structured programme of financial education for looked-after young people, designed to fill the gaps in what is usually a very unsecure start in life.
It is offered to young people aged 15 to 17 years who have been in care for at least one year, providing them with training, tools and resources to improve their money-related skills and facilitate transition into adulthood. It consists of six ‘steps’ incorporating literacy, numeracy, financial capability, financial planning and help with securing education, employment or training.
A unique feature of Stepladder Plus is that it applies an innovative approach of incentivised learning. Programme participants can earn incentive payments for completing each step, up to £1,500 in total. These incentives are paid into their starter capital accounts (Junior ISAs and Child Trust Funds managed by The Share Foundation), providing adult care leavers with more financial stability and significantly reducing their risk of becoming NEET.
12. What is Tring Park School for the Performing Arts?
Tring Park School aims to be the pre-eminent centre of excellence for training and educating the next generation of the most versatile performance artists. Offering world-class vocational training in dance, musical theatre, acting and commercial music, the Hertfordshire-based school UK offers a pathway to industry alongside a robust academic provision. Welcoming pupils from 7 to 19 years old, the school aims to provide this unique breadth of education and training to talented young people from all backgrounds and extends its specialist facilities and teaching experience to children and young adults across the wider community. www.tringpark.com
For further information: please contact natasha.richmond@sharefound.org