Through Your Lense

Our New Era Programme is a leadership and development programme & we ask for £50,000 to successfully deliver our programme /production. Targeting ages 14-18, we have reached over 40 young people. It has recently been delivered in a Lambeth school this year and we would love to deliver this in our local community Peckham. Our Founder is a Children's nurse & specialising in mental health/ wellbeing these skills amongst many other skill sets in the team shaped this programme on the basis of our experiences as first generation of migrants addressing the gaps in our culture, community and generations it will deliver a powerful, culturally informed leadership & personal development journey for young Black people. Over 8 weeks, participants will take part in six themed workshop sessions:

1. Cultural Identity & My Identity
2. Mindset and Personal Development
3. Discovering Inner Leadership
4. Perception & The Big World
5. Equality, Diversity & Inclusion – The Black Experience
6. Influences - Social Media, Mental Health & Financial Literacy

After the workshop sessions the remaining months is to create a Dramatherapy-led production, where participants collaboratively create and perform a piece titled “Live Your Movie” — a reflection of who they are, what they’ve learned, and how they want to shape their futures.

This project specifically supports young people aged 16-18 in the Black community — particularly those from first- and second-generation migrant backgrounds living in the local community. It is also open to those who relate to these experiences.

We aim to empower those who may feel underrepresented in leadership, mental health, and personal development spaces. Creating safe space conversations through coaching and mentorship around Identity and wellbeing is continued after the programme.

Making a Difference: The New Era Programme will:

• Increase confidence and self-awareness, enabling participants to understand and embrace their identity.
• Develop leadership and communication skills to help them transition successfully into adulthood, education, or work.
• Enhance emotional resilience and mental health, using dramatherapy as a safe, creative outlet for expression and healing.
• Foster a stronger sense of community and belonging, inspiring participants to become role models and changemakers within their networks.

By the end of the programme, participants will not only “live their movie” but have the tools to direct it — empowered to write their own stories, rather than having them written for them.

Funding will allow us to:

• Secure trained facilitators, including a Dramatherapist and Black community leaders, to run workshops and Q&A sessions.
• Cover venue hire, creative materials, and production costs for the final performance.
• Provide resources and refreshments to ensure full engagement throughout the programme.
• Community of action – social activities and events for the young people as we work through the course of the year/ programme
• Cover cost of screening, producers, media coverage
• Offer travel stipends or small incentives to reduce barriers for participation.

This will strengthen mental health, identity, community pride, and intergenerational understanding among young Black people in Peckham.

The New Era Programme is rooted in lived experience, cultural relevance, and proven approaches to personal development. Our facilitators share similar backgrounds to participants, creating an environment of trust, representation, and relatability.

We’ve already seen that when young people are given the tools to express themselves creatively and explore their identity, they build confidence, resilience, and leadership skills that extend beyond the programme. One of our young boys started the programme shy but today is the director for the short film we will screen in Lambeth.

By combining identity exploration, mental health awareness, leadership training, and dramatherapy, we meet both the emotional and practical needs — ensuring long-term, measurable impact.