”Wicked” sets out 2023 plans for school and community group workshops

Wicked has unveiled plans for a series of school and community workshops running across 2023.

The hit production – which is also embarking on a new tour at the end of the year – will partner with not-for-profit community charity Starling Arts (who emphasise positive changes to mental health and wellbeing through singing) as part of their broader Wicked Acting Learning initiative.

Starling Arts co-founders Anna Shields and Emily Garsin said: “We’re thrilled to embark on this partnership with Wicked Active Learning. These workshops fuse together our passion for musical theatre, singing and wellbeing in a package that complements both the show and the curriculum.

“Wicked is the perfect story for exploring big ideas and we’re excited to work with people of all ages through this new workshop offering. As advocates of how the arts can boost mental health, Starling Arts look forward to these workshops providing participants with a toolkit of Wicked inspired skills they can use to improve their mood and support their peers and community groups throughout life.”

Schools will be able to organise workshops through the www.WickedActiveLearning.co.uk website.

The move comes during the start of Children’s Mental Health Week 2023, which runs through to 12 February. The themes for 2023 is Let’s Connect.

Wicked‘s executive producer Michael McCabe said: “We’re delighted to announce this partnership with the brilliant Starling Arts company, who will now be exclusively delivering workshops on behalf of Wicked Active Learning. The COVID pandemic fundamentally altered the lives of many young people and UK schools continue supporting them to recover both academically and in terms of their wellbeing.

“We’ve long admired the inspirational work that Anna Shields and Emily Garsin have been doing in schools and communities, particularly during, and in the aftermath of, the lockdowns, boosting mental health and self-confidence through singing workshops and choirs. It’s an honour to be collaborating with them and particularly appropriate to be announcing our partnership during Children’s Mental Health Week.”

Wicked Active Learning has a variety of ongoing projects, including creative writing competition “Wicked Writers”, alongside the National Literacy Trust.