Bank sponsored play is like a breath of fresh air
BANK of America Merrill Lynch feared a mass exodus of staff. Or so the co-founder of Epic Arts, a charity which runs theatre workshops for youngsters with physical and learning disabilities, has heard.
Rachel Duncomb-Anderson told The Capitalist some of the bank’s staff who have been volunteering with the charity secretly confessed they enjoyed it so much that they would like to give up their day jobs.
“We had loads of volunteers getting involved,” she said. “Apparently we caused quite a stir.”
The charity, now in its eleventh year, has been putting together a theatre production over the past year, choreographed and performed by over 130 disabled and non-disabled pupils from 12 schools across London.
The play, called Exhale, is being sponsored by BAML, which has also been encouraging its staff – including those without any artistic inkling – to get involved with the play.
“It was the dream performance we had been hoping to do. To have a budget where you have really good arts materials – it is wonderful.
“It meant that we could really think big in terms of not using just one creative medium, ” Duncomb-Anderson said.
Two performances of the play took place last week at Morpeth School in Tower Hamlets and at BAML’s headquarters in the City.
The project aims to foster integration and help pupils form friendships and celebrate diversity.
“I think what we manage to create when you bring different children together is a new community where the labels like disabilities are meaningless,” Duncomb-Anderson said, whilst stressing that they “strive for a high art outcome”.