Life’s a drama for Leanna

10:22am Monday 5th February 2007

A STUDENT from Bromsgrove has been appointed to an influential body dedicated to broadening the range of young people's theatre.

Arts Council England has set up a national youth council as part of a three-year programme to develop youth and participatory theatre in England.

Made up of 20 young people aged between 14 and 24, the national youth council is part of the Arts Council's young people's participatory theatre project (YPPT), funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

Featuring youngsters from across the country, the group includes Leanna Horne, from Barnardos. As part of the national youth council, she will play an important role in shaping the YPPT project and part of a regional youth council that will look to develop youth theatre practice in the West Midlands.

Leanna started theatre work at the age of nine with the Break a Leg company, where she remained until August 2004.

She then joined All and Sundry theatre company where she has been involved in six shows.

She is currently studying at North East Worcestershire College Bromsgrove and hopes to complete her BTEC National Diploma in Performing in July 2008, after which she hopes to go into writing professionally for the stage and screen.

The YPPT project will work to create opportunities and broaden the range of theatre in which young people can participate, as well as strengthening its links with the mainstream theatre industry.