News

The Prosser Perspective.... a weekly column from Dover and Deal MP Gwyn Prosser

12 February 2009

Just about all of our secondary schools in Dover and Deal have some sort of specialty status nowadays but long before it became part of the Government’s education policy some schools – good schools like Astor were already concentrating on their special subjects and celebrating their pupil’s talents.

Astor can be proud that it was made Kent's first specialist College for the Visual Arts and this recognition by the Government allowed them new opportunities to further hone their specialities in the visual and performing arts. You’ve only got to view their gallery or watch the enthusiasm of their stage performances to appreciate how much local talent we’ve got in Dover.

Amongst the myriad of new initiatives revealed at the Labour Party Conference was an announcement by Secretary of State, Andy Burnham that he was encouraging theatres to offer free tickets to young people. At the time I imagined he was planning a small scale program confined to the capital but this week he has announced that over 200 theatres up and down the country have signed up to the new scheme and they are offering 618,000 free tickets for under 26 year olds over the next two years.

Theatres from Sunderland to Southampton and from Blackpool to Barnsley are taking part in the scheme but the good news for us in East Kent is that our own Marlow Theatre in Canterbury is participating.

I have seen myself how positively young people respond to the theatre, and the Marlow has a really good reputation for putting on first class productions. This scheme will allow young people in Dover & Deal who might ordinarily be unable to visit the theatre or who might never have considered doing so to experience some of these brilliant productions.

To help promote our scheme we have the wholesome support of top celebrities like Eddie Izzard and Kevin Spacey and they’ve made a great little video clip which can be downloaded from website below.

Labour has always believed in making the best in life available to everyone. We all know how a visit to the theatre can be a life-changing experience, and it’s incredibly exciting to imagine our theatres full to bursting point with young people.

Free theatre tickets is a great idea, and especially welcome during these tough financial times. We have a great British theatrical tradition and I very much hope that young people in my constituency take advantage of this offer.

This scheme allows us to unlock seats that might otherwise have remained empty, giving us good value for money, as well as ensuring we open up theatre to as many people as possible.

In the same way we opened up and provided free access to our great museums and galleries, we are now extending this principal through to the performing arts, and I recommend people view the video clip and contact the Marlow Theatre as soon as possible to get their free tickets.

www.silverfish.tv/clients/FreeTheatre/Free_Theatre_Tickets_Eddie_and_Kevin.wmv