Funding boost amplifies creative opportunities

A Darlington alternative education programme is expanding its creative offer with new music opportunities aimed at supporting young people outside mainstream schooling.

Blackbird Creative Arts has secured a £2000 grant from the Banks Group’s Banks Community Fund to enhance its Key Stage Door project, which supports young people struggling with school attendance.

The funding has been used to purchase musical instruments and equipment, including guitars, percussion, microphones and a PA system, enabling participants to explore and perform music as part of their learning.

Delivered in partnership with Darlington Hippodrome, the programme offers twice-weekly sessions covering dance, singing, theatre and music, with students working towards recognised Arts Awards qualifications.

Founded in 2019 by performing arts professionals Sarah Wilson and Jade Sloan, who are also both parents of children with special educational needs, Blackbird Creative Arts launched Key Stage Door to support young people facing challenges linked to mental health, wellbeing and neurodiversity. 

The initiative aims to build confidence, communication and teamwork skills, helping participants re-engage with education.

Backed by Darlington Council, the programme continues to grow its impact across the town.

Jade said: “Creative expression is really important for everyone’s well-being, but for young people who are often struggling with multiple issues that lead to emotionally based school avoidance, it can become even more essential and impactful.

“Our aim is to use the arts to help turn students who are feeling isolated and excluded into more confident people who feel capable, creative and valued, and it’s been brilliant to see this happening with many of our students over recent months as they’ve found and developed a range of talents that they often didn’t even know they had.

“We’ve had lots of positive feedback from our students and their families, and we maintain lots of contact with parents and carers to make sure they know how much their children are putting into and getting out of their sessions with us.

“The support we’ve had from both Darlington Council and the Hippodrome has been crucial in enabling us to deliver a service that we knew was desperately needed in the town, and we’re now working to maximise the positive impacts that it can provide for local young people in the future.

“We’ve had to borrow musical instruments where we could up to now, so having our own resources available to use whenever we want is going to make a big difference to our work and we’re really grateful to the Banks Group for helping us bring them in.”

Kate Culverhouse, community relations manager at the Banks Group, added: “Key Stage Door is already making a hugely positive impact on the lives of its students and their families, and we hope this grant give them the opportunity to achieve even more.” 

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