How I Got Involved with Highly Sprung
In 2021, when I was in Year 8 at school a friend dragged me to an afterschool
club with Highly Sprung at my school. I was initially hesitant as theatre was not
something I had much experience in, with myself primarily being a dancer.
However, from that first session my confidence flourished and I quickly
discovered that Highly Sprung was a company that developed and utilised your
skills rather than trying to fit you in a mould – like many other performance
groups I have worked with.
2 years later I joined Sprung Youth and it was the best decision I ever made.
Getting to work with Highly Sprung every week was amazing, the space was
supportive, inclusive and safe and I could be totally myself without the
pressures of conformity you see in school and online. I found that Sprung
Youth is a place that values your opinion, your individuality, and your
creativity. You meet people who you know will have you back no matter what,
and you are never judged for being who you are.
The Physical Fellowship
I have had the privilege of taking part in the last four of Highly Sprung’s
physical fellowships, initially with my school and then as a member of Sprung
Youth. In my first Physical Fellowship, I was not a person who I would say was
interested particularly in drama instead preferring dance. However, when I saw
the headline Sprung Advance Plus performance of Silence Amplified, I was
transfixed and I decided right there and then that that is what I wanted to do.
And guess what, 3 years later I was doing just that: taking part in my first
Sprung Advance Plus performance last year playing the young Helen in S(he).
And suddenly I was the one inspiring other young performers just like had
been done for me. It was surreal and a privilege to say the least.
Working on this year’s headline performance
Since coming back to Sprung Youth after Christmas we have begun working on
our new headline piece for this year’s Physical Fellowship exploring the
disparities evident in both our current society and those of Victorian England.
We have learnt about the plot of Oliver Twist, Victorian Reform Laws and
Victorian Crimes and Punishments all through youth created physical theatre.
It was fun, informative and perhaps most importantly made us reflect on how
our current society is tragically similar to that of Victorian England.
This will be kept in mind as we continue work to create our performance Sikes
in the coming months exploring the untold story of Charles Dickens’ Bill Sikes
and how he became the villain of Oliver Twist.
My transformation
Highly Sprung inspired me to fight for my place in the creative world. It gave
me the confidence to challenge my teachers when choosing my GSCEs and A
Levels, in order to pick Drama over the Sciences or Languages I was
encouraged to choose. But perhaps most importantly, it showed me to never
apologise for being who I am and that is something I will hold on to for the rest
of my life.