Roynon Performing Arts are working with Crowdfunder and Winchester City Council to raise £7,000 to create free/heavily discounted classes for students who cannot afford to pay for classes and its overheads.
Why are we doing this?
We at Roynon Performing Arts are passionate about supporting the local community and the wellbeing of its individuals.
Over lockdown, the team worked incredibly hard to protect and nurture students via online classes. We managed to move its 60+ classes in dance, music and drama to a virtual setting. Students of all ages and abilities made huge progress despite all the odds, which in turn helped to scaffold the wellbeing of the community. RPA provided 1,000s of hours of teaching time online to over 250 students, providing a much-needed link to the outside world and maintaining consistency.
The creative arts have been long proven to help with key life skills such as confidence, communication, resilience and problem solving. However, lockdown amplified just how crucial it is for us all to feel good and feel connected. This then prompted the RPA teaching team to think about all the individuals out there we’ve yet to reach out to and help support…
Currently, RPA are restricted in its ability to throw open the studio doors to the amount of people we really want to support. We know just how much young people and adults are needing dance, music and drama as a release from the growing pressures since lockdown and so we want to be in a position where we can help as many people as we can.
Our aim (in more detail)
We as a school want to create free or heavily discounted classes for students and their families, who for whatever reason cannot afford to pay for classes (and cover overheads such as hire, teacher time and admin). We believe that being creative and expression via the arts should be for all. Through the decades, Roynon has proven itself as being a professional, progressive organisation, which can springboard students into a career in the arts and/or offer a safe space to clear your head and get the positive endorphins pumping. We want to be in a position to be able to offer our services and expertise to those who would otherwise be unable to do so.
We at Roynon Performing Arts have set the goal of raising £7,000, which will then be used to teach, support and equip students in the local community and from disadvantaged backgrounds for free or at a heavily discounted rate.
Why are we doing this now?
The pandemic has affected us all and national statistics show mental health is in severe jeopardy. We believe dance, music and drama are more important than ever. Our studios are a safe place, a place for expression, a place to learn and have fun, to excel and to let off steam. We have seen the positive impact our classes and workshops have on students, from toddlers through to retired adults. Roynon want to be in a position where we can reach out to others that could otherwise be left behind due to financial difficulty, self esteem or misconceptions as to who attends our classes.
As you know, the pandemic has also hit small businesses really hard and RPA is no exception. Our 40 year anniversary was put on hold, business plans disintegrated or had to be reimagined, some students couldn’t get on with online learning and left. RPA have no reserves in which to support any new initiatives due to lockdown and we received minimal government funding to plug the gap. Therefore there are two fundamental factors which have made us believe now is the right time to Crowdfund.
What will the money go towards?
All of the monies raised via Crowdfund will go back into supporting the community. All our initiatives – including this Crowdfund, the Whole School Show and community events – are run purely because we want to make a positive difference. RPA never run such ventures for profit and always, categorically put the money back into the thing we have set out to provide. We will provide regular updates as to how the money is being used, the main focus to get students of all ages and abilities into the studio, learning something new and making them feel good to then help them in their everyday life.
How are we raising the money?
Crowdfunding
We have set up this Crowdfunding page in which anyone can donate whatever amount they can. If everyone within our existing ‘Roynon Family’ donated just £10 each, this would exceed our £7k goal! We may even be able to sort some donation rewards from within our school – watch this space and other forms of communication to find out more…
The RPA Team
The RPA Team will be doing their bit to help raise funds. This will include sponsored events, community fundraising and much more… If there is anything you’d like us to tackle, do get in touch!
Business sponsorship
We are looking for any local businesses who would like to sponsor some of our fund raising! Please contact Principal Miss Sarah on principal@roynonperformingarts.co.uk or Gary on roynonevents@gmail.com
Student fundraising – Roynon’s 7
We’ll be unveiling 7 fundraising activities to help £7k – we’d love you to get involved and help so please get in touch!
We don’t use the term ‘Roynon Family’ lightly. We are incredibly proud of the support and progression we offer all students regardless of age and ability. We want to extend our base and welcome those who need support more than ever. With your help, we will be able to extend these services to members of the community who would otherwise be unable to be involved.
Thank you.
