Emma (Hammond Performing Arts School)
Mon 2 – Sat 7 Feb
I’ve loved my time at Doorstep! Although I’ve only been here for 5 days I feel like I’ve learned so much with working in an office environment, working with children in a primary school and even experiencing a fun workshop with students the same age as me and inspiring artists.
On Monday I was given such a clear insight on what I would be doing throughout the week and I had a really good introduction to the office learning new skills already. Monday evening was definitely one my highlights as Doorstep had Jamaal O’Driscoll and his dancers in for a 4 hour workshop. I felt a little nervous before I went in but all the young people who train at Doorstep were soo nice and I made some really lovely friendships whilst also getting a chance to dance all evening which is something I am super passionate about!
On Tuesday and Wednesday I experienced being in an office environment. I learnt so much about all the time and effort the staff at Doorstep put into the business and I also felt really inspired being at the big heartbeat meeting and listening to all of the amazing things it takes to run a business like doorstep.
On Thursday I went to assist Polly at Homelands Primary School and it was probably my favourite part of the week! Being a dancer, I felt right in my comfort zone and discovered I love working with children!! It was such a fun day!
On my last day, I came and helped out at a Saturday theatre club all morning and as I already discovered I loved working with children, it was just as fun!
Overall, my week at doorstep was something so special I won’t ever forget it. I will take things I’ve learnt this week with me forever and always remember the lovely faces of all of the kind, supportive staff at doorstep who really bring theatre alive in Torbay! All the work they do is so inspiring and I hope I can help the performing arts industry for young people (especially in the South West) when I’m older just like how the Doorstep team do at the moment! I will certainly be back at doorstep in the future ⭐️
Amy (Churston Ferrers Grammar School)
Mon 2 – Fri 6th March
My work experience placement at Doorstep Arts gave me so many opportunities and provided me with such a welcoming environment as soon as I arrived thanks to their kind staff.
On my first day Helen showed us around and told us about the company and all the wonderful things they do. Then Helen showed us a bit about how they plan the costumes they need for a show which was cool.
After our lunch break we met Jade and she talked to us about something they are planning called Theatre of the Mind and we all had a really interesting conversation together.
Another lovely Doorstep employee -Erin- was kind enough to come and see us and let us meet Clark Bain who does amazing work with drama therapy in prisons, we also learnt about something he created called -The Drama spiral. We all continued to talk and then Clark gifted us his book for us to give to our drama department, very generous.
Later on we took part in DAS with Polly and the junior and senior groups which was super fun and at the moment they are preparing for their next production- Chitty Chitty Bang Bang! So lots of great games and singing.
Day two, the morning started with us sitting in on their ‘Heartbeat meeting’ which was really inspiring as I got to see how hard they work and all the aspects there are to running a company. After the meeting and lunch, Polly asked us to go to the attic and look through for anything that could be used for costumes for Chitty, which I loved and we managed to find lots of useful clothing. In the evening we went to DAS again where Laura looked after us and we were given the chance to teach the Hushabye Mountain routine to the junior group and that was great, we also helped out by organising their drama cupboard.
For our last day, Polly took us to Homelands Primary School where she runs dance based activities and we took part and helped out with the Year 1s, 4s and 6s. At lunch Polly ran a dance club and games for all year groups to join in and it was so joyful and fun. This was definitely one of my highlights during my work experience because seeing how much fun all the kids had dancing and being active made me so happy as the work Polly does with them is so beneficial for them.
It was also really sweet seeing all the year 1s so smiley dancing in their World Book Day costumes. Finally we joined in with the after school club run by Harriet which was so entertaining and they were practicing their songs and scenes from musicals such as Matilda.
Overall, I had the best time at Doorstep Arts because of the AMAZING staff, all the fun with Chitty chitty bang bang practice and working with children and others doing such joyful activities and having really useful interesting conversations about working life.
Thank you so much!!
MAY
Jorja (St Cuthbert Mayne School)
Mon 27 April – Sat 2 May
During my time with doorstep arts I have been involved in a variety of tasks and have had an abundance of fun. It has already given me a massive growth in confidence and has cemented a huge love for nurturing youth in the performing arts industry. I think the best part has been getting stuck in with a group and seeing the huge amount of joy a piece of drama can provide for a young person. This placement has inspired me to think about not just my career performing but also consider a path in education as seeing the changes that a teacher can bring to a young person’s life has truly touched my heart. This heartwarming experience has made me enthusiastic to share my passion for performing arts in the future and if you are an aspiring performer I would highly recommend this outstanding opportunity for growth in both passion and talent in theatre with Doorstep Arts.
Morgana (St Cuthbert Mayne School)
Mon 27 April – Sat 2 May
Hi, I’m Morgana and I chose to do my work experience with the lovely Doorstep arts team. I had previously done a devise and discovery which was super fun, that was one of the reasons I chose to do my work experience with Doorstep. My experience over the week with Doorstep arts has reached past my expectations of what was going to happen and has been super informative of what working in the industry is like, working with the groups (DAS and DYT) has been super fun as they are all very friendly. This has definitely helped boost my confidence and my communication skills and how to work together as a team and watching all the choreography for Chitty! The staff at Doorstep are the nicest people I have met, they’re so kind and thoughtful and easy to have a laugh with and explaining what they do in the industry and it’s definitely broadened my horizons for when it will eventually be my time to look for a job in the industry.
Lacy-May (St Cuthbert Mayne School)
Mon 27 April – Sat 2 May
I’m Lacey-May, work experience at Doorstep Arts was an amazing experience. I got to help children live their dreams. My time with Doorstep has also opened myself to different opportunities in the future in performing Arts. One of my favourite times this week was working in homeland primary school with polly. I loved working with the nursery, primary and SEN children in the morning, then doing different activities on the field such as: dancing, singing and playing games. Another great time was watching how far they have gotten with chitty and learning the choreography ourselves. We played games with the younger groups, we planned what games they would play and what theatre techniques they can use in the games.
Orla (St Cuthbert Mayne School)
Mon 27 April – Sat 2 May
I went to Doorstep Arts for my work experience, The team were all super kind and explained all the tasks really clearly. It’s a great place if you are someone who is into drama , theatre or just wanting to learn about staging , lighting or the technical parts of performing. It’s also good for those who don’t want to be sat down all day as we went into schools and did group activities with young children – which helps you decide if later on life you want to work with children or not. I did my work experience with other people from my school which has made it an even better experience as it will be memories we can talk about after the experience is over. I think it’s a great place to go for classes or experience or even to watch the productions as there is always lots of effort put in.
Rosie (Brixham College)
Mon 11 – Sat 16 May
I’m Rosie, and my work experience at Doorstep has been such an enjoyable experience! On the first day, I had an introduction with Erin, who taught me all about the company and the amazing work they do. I then worked alongside the Doorstep team and helped create TikToks to advertise Doorstep and showcase what they offer. I loved making the videos because I really enjoy editing and social media. Later in the evening, I helped with the DYT groups and loved working with everyone’s creative ideas for a short film.
JULY
Amy (Paignton Academy)
Mon 6 – Sat 11 July
Hi, I am Amy doing my work experience for Paignton Academy at Doorstep Arts. I am part of DAS Tuesday Seniors so I decided to do my work experience here so that I could find out about what the team get up to out of session times and what it’s like to work in the industry. I have really enjoyed this week and developed my communication and teamwork skills further as well as others during this process.
Monday: I met the other student and the staff at Doorstep this week. I had and induction and tour of the office to start before sorting out the attic of costumes and props to organise it. I then went into town with the other student to buy costume items for Chitty with the cash and list we received which increased my understanding of staying on budget and getting the items needed. Later, I helped at Doorstep Youth Theatre Rep company (DYT) by taking photos and reading in for characters. This was fun because I have learnt how to use the professional camera and got see what they are getting up to in terms of Hushabye for the Chitty prequel.
Tuesday: Another day in the office with more of the Doorstep team joining throughout the day. I started by painting fake bread for props in the upcoming production of Chitty which I found extremely fun to do. I then redid their wall chalkboard to renew the events for the autumn term. Later, I helped out with the DAS Tuesday Juniors session in which I read in for the character of Potts whilst they did a run of Chitty before doing my normal DAS session. I found today interesting and fun because I got to learn how to do new tasks and complete them effectively.
Wednesday: I completed admin office tasks including helping to make the Chitty programme in which I did the cast list. This was fun to do because I have helped to be part of the behind the scenes of Chitty as well as being in the production myself. Next, I researched local shows to select for the Doorstep ‘What’s On’ page of the website. I found this task enjoyable because it allowed me to help have a say in what young people want to watch locally.
Thursday: A day at Homelands Primary school with Polly doing dance classes. I joined in and helped out for dance classes with young children before playing games with them at lunch time then playing Lego in the classroom to finish. I had to lead a game of musical statues at lunch which boosted my public speaking skills. I noticed that my confidence grew throughout the day as I relaxed more and stepped out of my comfort zone. This was a highlight of my week and has made me realise that I like working with children and I loved seeing the impact dance has on young children.
Friday: I had to complete an at home task of writing up a blog about my week of work experience with Doorstep. This was enjoyable as it made me reflect on how much I have loved this week and the impacts I will get from this for my future.
Saturday: I helped at Saturday Drama and the Summer Gathering event. I helped by setting up for the drama groups before taking photos of their rehearsal and performance and then packed away. I found this interesting to see what they do in these drama sessions. After this, I helped at the Summer Gathering event by doing the face painting stall with Erin. I then braved doing the karaoke of a duet with Erin to Seventeen from Heathers to finish our week before helping pack away. This event helped me develop my public speaking and confidence skills.
Overall, this week has been amazing and incredible! I have improved my personal skills massively and I would recommend this placement to any future Work Experience students because you will have a lot of fun and a great time.
Allanna (Torquay Academy)
Mon 13 – Fri 17 July
This week I’ve done my work experience at doorstep arts and it was great. I have participated in a range of activities including costume making, office meetings, helped with evening rehearsals and went to a primary school. All the staff were very friendly and welcoming making the overall experience fantastic. I would strongly recommend doing your work experience here if you want to work in within the arts or within child care.
Louise (Paignton Academy)
Mon 13 – Fri 17 July
Hi! My name is Louise and i have been with doorstep arts for my work experience this week. Overall i found this experience so inspiring and joyful, everyone has been so welcoming. There have been many things i have been introduced during this experience and i this lead to me having learned many new skills. For example: Photography, Sewing and improving my communication skills.
My favourite part of the week was visiting Homelands primary school in Torquay. During this visit we held dance classes to the younger students and then accompanied them at lunch time. Before this visit i was not to fond of younger children but they were the most well behaved and friendliest children i have ever seen.
Throughout the week we have also contributed to office work and “behind the scenes” of Doorsteps upcoming shows. This consisted of helping make costumes for the cast and writing a full timetable on important dates for the company. During the evenings we were introduced to all of the DAS Members in their rehearsals for “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang”. This gave us an insight on the preparation and how hard working each member is in the cast from the staff to the cast itself.
Jo (Churston Sixth Form)
Mon 13 – Fri 17 July
During my work experience week at Doorstep Arts, I was lucky enough to work with an amazing group of people, as well as being given the luxury of seeing how Doorstep operates, and all the work that goes into it. However the highlight of my work experience week was making costumes for their upcoming show: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. I especially enjoyed the fact that over the course of two days, I was able to learn and perfect a new skill (machine sewing) whilst feeling as though I had made a valuable contribution to the production, and thereby supporting the Doorstep team to the best of my ability. I was able to work on this for a long time independently, taking responsibility for my own task, and at the end able to see the progress I had made, which I found highly rewarding.
I think my main take away from my time on work experience at Doorstep Arts would be that a career in the arts can look like lots of different things and can take lots of different paths – rather than the straight and narrow route I thought it to be. This has inspired me to broaden my ideas for future plans and curate something for myself, just as the co-directors of Doorstep have done. Alongside this, I have also learnt the importance of what it means to be part of a community, to create connections and to work either as part of a team, or as an individual who contributes to something bigger. This is such an important part of everything I saw and was a part of at Doorstep and something I hadn’t given much thought to before. I am grateful to be able to learn both of these things now and will continue to remember them as I approach my next steps.
Sophie (Churston Sixth Form)
Mon 13 – Fri 17 July
When I started my work experience at Doorstep Arts, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I knew I was interested in the arts, but I had no idea just how much happens behind the scenes to make everything run smoothly. Looking back, it has been one of the most enjoyable and eye-opening experiences I’ve had.
From my very first day, everyone made me feel welcome. The team were so friendly and happy to answer my questions, which made it easy to settle in and get involved. It was great to be part of such a supportive environment where creativity and teamwork are at the heart of everything.
The highlight of my placement was definitely being able to sit in on various different meetings. It gave me a real insight into everything that goes on behind the scenes of a theatre company. Before my placement, I mostly thought about the performances themselves, but I soon realised how much planning, collaboration and hard work happens long before an audience takes their seats. Listening to the team share ideas, solve problems and plan future projects was fascinating, and it really opened my eyes to all the different roles that help bring productions and community projects to life.
Throughout the week, I also had the chance to help with different activities and see first-hand the positive impact Doorstep Arts has on children, young people and the local community. Watching people build confidence, express themselves creatively and enjoy being part of something special was incredibly rewarding.
This experience has helped me grow in confidence and improve my communication, teamwork and organisational skills. More importantly, it has shown me that there are so many exciting careers in the arts beyond performing. Seeing how much passion and dedication the team puts into their work has inspired me and given me a new appreciation for everything that happens behind the scenes.
I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone at Doorstep Arts for making me feel so welcome and giving me such an amazing opportunity. I have learned so much in such a short time, and I will definitely take these experiences and lessons with me in the future. It has been an unforgettable week, and I’m so grateful to have been a part of it.
