EE launches new online drama workshops to develop self-confidence in teenagers

EE, longstanding partner of the EE BAFTA Film Awards, is today launching a new campaign called, ‘The Stage is Yours’, which delves into the mindset of secondary school children, shining a light on the importance of drama and the arts for life outside of the classroom. The new campaign is designed to shine a light on the importance of drama and the arts helping children to develop crucial and versatile life skills such as confidence. Focused on liberating learning from the classroom, EE, Micheal Ward, and other actors and influencers, have developed a series of workshops designed to empower and inspire secondary school children to build self-confidence through the arts, which are  now available on EE’s LearnSmart platform. 
 
It comes as a new YouGov study of secondary school children, commissioned by EE, reveals that 84% of 11 – 16-year-olds regularly participate in drama, music, sport, or the arts. It highlights that those who do are twice as likely (32%) to feel confident in everyday life skills such as reading or presenting a project to their class compared to those who don’t (14%). Despite this, participation in arts activities wanes as secondary school children get older, with 16-year-olds a third less likely (11%) to take part in drama classes and recitals compared with 11-year-olds (44%).

With the clear role that drama and the arts play in developing self-esteem and expression, it is no surprise that as many as half (51%) of 16-year-olds say that they lack confidence in at least one of the following key life skills:

• Trying or learning new things (only 41% feel confident)
• Confronting an issue with a friend of acquaintance (only 52% feel confident)
• Reading or presenting a project to their class (only 43% feel confident)
• Speaking to someone they have a crush on (only 22% feel confident)

Ahead of the EE BAFTA Film Awards, ‘The Stage is Yours’ campaign will also launch with a TikTok competition, utilising the platform’s stitch feature to give 13–17-year-olds the chance to act out the role of the ultimate villain in an improvised duet with former BAFTA EE Rising Star winner and star of Top Boy, Micheal Ward. The audition tapes can be submitted by stitching them to Micheal Ward’s video on EE’s TikTok profile @EE, with the hashtag #eethestageisyours. The winner will be selected by a panel of film experts and will secure a significant role in ‘NAZ’, the long-awaited biopic of boxer, Prince Naseem Hamed, from the acclaimed producers of the BAFTA-nominated ‘Boiling Point’.

Micheal Ward commented: “As an actor I am very passionate about inspiring young people to get involved in the arts because of the incredible benefits it can bring to their confidence and other key life skills. Throughout my career, I’ve had times where I’ve struggled with my confidence and it’s a pleasure to share what I’ve learned along the way with the next generation, whether they’re looking to pursue a career in the arts, or just a boost in their daily lives.”