South West Water’s parent company, Pennon, is providing support for Theatre Royal Plymouth’s (TRP) Young Company Bursary project.
The bursary provides fully and partially funded spaces on drama courses for young people facing barriers to accessing theatre. Young Company relaunched in September 2025 and participant numbers and popularity have soared since.
With support from Pennon, children aged two to 18 from disadvantaged or low-income backgrounds, and those with learning difficulties, can get involved in 10-week drama courses. There is a wide range of courses available, teaching everything from production and arts management, to performing arts. The courses are built to nurture creativity and talent in young people from all backgrounds, and the bursary ensures these opportunities remain inclusive to all.
For Young Company Create, a group offering bespoke support for children with disabilities, the bursary enabled TRP to lower the course admission fee, making it more affordable and, subsequently, inclusive.
The group spent their last term learning theatre skills through Roald Dahl stories and had a masterclass on 3D character models by a visiting specialist. During their next term they will start work on a performance for the end of year festival. Young Company Create offers the same opportunities as the rest of Young Company with the addition of focused and specialised support.
A Young Company Create member’s mum said: “Create has continued to be a safe and supportive space for my son to regulate, providing routine and consistency in his week whilst other areas of his life are currently in transition. Create allows him to express himself without judgement. Even though he is at a specialist school, Create allows him to be himself and is welcomed however he is feeling.”
Sarah Heald, Pennon’s Chief Strategy & Regulatory Affairs Officer, said: “We’re really proud to support the brilliant work happening at Theatre Royal Plymouth. Every young person should have the chance to explore their creativity and feel confident in who they are, but we know that isn’t always easy to access. The Young Company Bursary is helping to change that opening the door for more young people, including those with disabilities, to take part, express themselves and discover what they’re capable of. Seeing that confidence grow is exactly why programmes like this matter so much.”
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