Theatre Peckham has been embedded in the local community since 1986, providing a first experience in performing arts participation for local families from diverse and low-income backgrounds, most of whom are at risk of social exclusion.

Theatre Peckham is based between Peckham and Camberwell within a central strip of deprivation, where child poverty is worse than the England average (28% compared to 18.6%) and young people from diverse and low-income backgrounds are often isolated, lacking safe spaces to take part in constructive activities. 79% of our participants define themselves as ethnically diverse, 24% receive free or reduced cost places due to low income, and 5% are report special educational needs.   

We work with children, young people and families through long term engagement. Many of our young people stay with us for years through the transition to secondary school and beyond, seeing Theatre Peckham as their family, where they will always be welcome. They return for advice, to gain experience, employment, create their own performances, and even to bring their own children.

Young people from diverse backgrounds rarely consider the arts as a viable career, and for those who do the lack of diverse voices and stories discourages them from pursuing this path. Yet many of our alumni are now graduates of eminent institutions, and employed across the creative industries. We work closely with organisations such as Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, the Royal Ballet, and Mountview Academy as well as national companies such as Frantic Assembly, Complicité, and the Royal Court providing role models and progression routes.