Youth theatre group saved by last minute donation

Looping the Loop received a last minute anonymous donation of £837

A youth theatre group in Margate which especially welcomes neurodiverse children has been saved by a last-minute anonymous cash donation.

Looping the Loop disbanded its group for seven to 18-year-olds due to financial pressures but sought new funding to reform at the request of parents.

Estelle Rosenfeld, one of the producers, said they were short for "quite a while" but raised their target at the last moment.

She said the fundraiser, which has raised a total of £11,794, was "a little bit daunting".

Ms Rosenfeld said: "Just before the last 48 hours we had the last big donation and we felt such a wave of gratitude that this person felt they could make it happen for us.”

The fundraiser led to dozens of anonymous donations, as well as support from Kent County Council and NHS Kent and Medway.

An anonymous donation of £837 brought them over the line and the group reopened on 16 April.

Looping the Loop now offers weekly places for £1 per child at the Tom Thumb Theatre in Margate, which is believed to be the smallest working theatre in the country.

The sessions will be led by experienced local practitioners including Brigitte Aphrodite, a neurodivergent punk poet based in Thanet.

She said: “I feel sometimes art does attract people whose brains and hearts and bodies work differently because its an inclusive space, or should be, and we create our own worlds.”

Ms Rosenfeld says the youth theatre is "a little bit different".

She added: "It's not about being a superstar who will go to the West End, its more about having fun, making friends, well being and learning to express yourself.”

Now at full capacity the group said it plans to expand after the summer.

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