Snows enables children from low income families to shine on stage

Family-owned motor group Snows secured funding from motor giant Toyota to enable under-privileged Southampton youngsters to enjoy a two-week theatre experience in their summer holidays.

Snows, which has eight Toyota dealerships across the south west, applied to the Toyota Community Fund to sponsor the popular annual Summer Youth Project at Southampton’s Mayflower Theatre.

During the fortnight, the 11-18-year-olds were given the opportunity to work with a director, producer, designer, choreographer, musicians and a full technical team to produce and star in a bone fide modern musical.

The youngsters, who had all auditioned for a place on the course, were involved in all aspects of the production, from script read-through right through to three professional performances of The Lightning Thief - The Percy Jackson Musical on the Mayflower stage.

Snows Toyota General Manager Dale Vaughan explained: “The core aims of the annual Mayflower Summer Youth Project are to gain an inspiring experience, to enhance confidence and create new friendships and to learn industry skills as a collective youth company.

“The benefits are huge to everyone who takes part and at Snows we were thrilled to support this and also wanted to make sure every talented child who wanted to be involved had the chance to do so, regardless of their family income.”

Snows used the Toyota funding to provide bursaries for children.

Dale said: “It was fantastic and very humbling when were able to meet the young people, hear about the thrilling experience they had enjoyed and see the amazing show they produced.

“There are some very talented young people and we hope that our support might inspire some of them to follow their dreams into a career in the theatre.”