Well done to PQA Bolton’s Red Group student Josephine Homes who was picked by the UK’s leading children’s charity, the NSPCC, to take part in a documentary about the benefits of extracurricular activities on children’s mental wellbeing. PQA Bolton were delighted to welcome a film crew to the academy earlier this month and show how they bring students together each week in a safe and inspiring space, away from the worries of the wider world.
A weekend performing arts academy, PQA Bolton is just one of over 200 PQA academies nationwide, offering a secure and welcoming environment in which children can develop skills that contribute towards their physical and mental wellbeing. When Pauline Quirke MBE and her husband Steve opened the Pauline Quirke Academy of Performing Arts in 2007, they realised that teaching important life skills through musical theatre, comedy, drama, film and television was a fantastic way to help young people realise their full potential, away from any outside stress or negativity. This ethos continues to be central to the skills taught at PQA every weekend. Each of our amazing students has something unique to share and our sessions bring out the best in each of them, allowing their confidence to blossom naturally.
Learning and practicing the performing arts in a safe and encouraging environment can help children build self-belief, whether it’s practicing routines or performing in front of fellow students, family and friends, or just having a go and trying new things. Our Film & TV module, for example, develops student’s filmmaking abilities, from directing, operating film equipment and acting for the screen, but also nurtures important life skills in teamwork, communication and problem solving. The opportunity to take part in the filming of this NSPCC documentary was a unique learning experience in which all the students were delighted to be involved as well as put some of these skills into practice!
The film will be exhibited on the NSPCC website and the project will be aired on NSPCC socials, educational sites and also via gaming software. PQA Bolton is very proud to be part of this important initiative and to support the NSPCC as they continue to protect millions of children each year and strive to help families nationwide.