The OAE runs a mentoring programme for students at Acland Burghley, the Dreamchasing Young Producers. This is a project generously supported by the foundation set up by Sir Ron Dennis to advance the prospects of underprivileged young people.

The Young Producers programme is now thriving at Acland Burghley school, its members regularly seen adding value to the OAE events in the front of house at its events at Southbank Centre and on tour.

What may not always be so obvious is how this talented team is developing in sector relevant skill and experience and how this is applied to the benefit of their community as well as the Orchestra and its mission.

A good example is this year’s sixth form production of Little Shop of Horrors. This is an examined component for the BTECH course taken by students at the school in performing arts. The Young Producers now have the capacity to enrich this work with lighting, sound and staging, drawing on specialist training and supervision from OAE staff and external industry professionals. This makes a meaningful difference to quality of process and outcome for the examination candidates.

Now in its fourth year, experienced student graduates from the Young Producers programme serve as mentors for younger recruits from the lower school, passing on the education they have received from the OAE. This student leadership drives trust, self-motivated learning and a spirit of industry which is an important signal of optimism for the broader community.

Lifting production values in this way drives cultural change, appreciation for the arts and an understanding of what the OAE has to offer in its own artistic mission.

As already demonstrated in successful previous ventures, the Dreamchasing Young Producers have the capacity to add significant value to our mainstage work – they have done so with our commercial videographic output and in acclaimed Southbank presentation (e.g. Princess Ida / Queen Elizabeth Hall). More of the same will follow in future seasons. Next steps for the Young Producers – to apply these skills in their own direction of operatic scenes with musicians from the OAE in the pit!