About Angel Shed

A Barrier-smashing Inclusive Performing Arts Charity

Angel Shed is a charity in Islington, North London, specialising in inclusive performing arts for children and young people. We provide a safe space for children to express themselves, develop confidence, and grow into curious, creative, and courageous young people. Established in 2004, we have engaged thousands of children and young people across Islington and beyond.

What we do

• We provide five weekly performing arts workshops for 100+ children and young people (aged 7-19) in theatre, music, & movement.

“I have never felt left out, I’m always included. I can speak to any staff member without feeling intimidated. I can speak to anyone and I always feel supported. I am free to share my ideas. Angel Shed is fun and they make everyone feel included. Angel Shed is creative and unlike others.”
Youth Theatre 2 member, December 2022

• We put on regular performances created by our members, in professional theatre spaces at our base in City and Islington College.

“Watching young people work together in such a creative environment is joyful. Transferring their life experiences into drama and seeing the world through their eyes was informative and enlightening. The Q&A session with the cast at the end was brilliant.”
Audience member, ‘Rumours’, December 2023

• We run an extensive volunteer programme, providing training and experience in inclusive facilitation with children and young people.

“Volunteering at Angel Shed was probably one of the best experiences of my life. My ideas were listened to, my voice was heard. I felt trusted to lead and run games. Volunteering with Angel Shed has also developed my practice.”
Performing Arts Volunteer, July 2023

• We engage in a range of outreach projects, delivering inclusive activities with some of the most under-served members of our community.

“It was an absolutely amazing experience working with Angel Shed on a project based on exploring the environment. Our class of children with severe and complex needs went on a voyage of discovery across the galaxy to visit new planets. So much care and thought had gone into the preparation and resourcing for every session and it meant that every child could participate, and they did, with enthusiasm. The team used signing and helped the children to find their own voice during every part of the session, ensuring that they were totally engaged. It was magical!”
Heather Johnston, Middle Primary Class Teacher, Richard Cloudesley Primary, June 2023

• We deliver training for organisations to work more inclusively within their staff teams or with service users.

"Angel Shed delivered training in inclusive practice to our team of public speaking trainers. They did a fantastic job of adapting their content to suit our setting and providing training that was collaborative and experiential for our team of highly experienced facilitators."
Alanna Beeken, Programmes Director, Speakers Trust, September 2023

 

Our Workshops and Performances

Our highly experienced and trained staff and volunteer team are the backbone of our work, delivering high-quality artistic work while providing the most appropriate support for each participant. We are led by the ideas of our 100+ members and they are active participants in the planning, creation, and performance of our work. This allows our members to share and explore the stories, issues and topics that are relevant to them.

We create inspirational and outstanding youth-led theatre, focused on long-term collaboration with children and young people from across the Islington community. Continued engagement is a core element of our work; 45% of participants aged 13-19 have been members for 5-11 years.

We facilitate accessible activities for children and young people of all backgrounds and abilities:

• anyone is welcome to join
• workshops are cost-free to those who cannot afford them
• there are no auditions
• one-to-one support can be provided

We adapt to the needs of individual members, meaning everyone can participate in a way which works for them - everyone’s needs are supported, and all voices are listened to and valued.

We actively reach out to those most likely to be otherwise excluded. This includes: disabled children and young people, those with social, emotional and mental health needs, young carers, neurodivergent children and young people, and those come from low-income backgrounds.

 

Our impact

The differences Angel Shed makes in children and young people's lives are varied. We carry out regular monitoring and evaluation to measure the impact of our work against these primary outcomes:

Belonging to a community
98% of parents/carers noticed a positive impact on their child’s sense of belonging/community.

“They said that their voices were heard and mattered, that made them happy because everyone listened and respected each other. The feeling of inclusivity and no judgement touched their hearts.”

Parent/carer of YT2 members, July 2024

95% of members say they felt included.

“I love Angel Shed, I love how everyone’s so sweet and inclusive, literally my safe space because I love drama and I love every single person here too so it’s so nice.”

Youth Theatre 2 member, December 2023

Strengthened relationships

98% of parents/carers noticed a positive impact on their child’s relationships (e.g. family, friends).

“It helped them boost their confidence, express their inner feelings and thoughts through acting, enhanced their artistic side and developed the ability of making friends and as well as sharpening their skills in theatre.”

Parent/carer of YT2 members, July 2024

98% of parents/carers noticed a positive impact on their child’s mental health.                               

“They always want to come to Angel Shed and they come home happy (not the case with other activities!)”

Parent/carer of Children’s Theatre members, July 2023

Increased confidence and self-esteem

93% of members say they had got better at collaborating with other children.

“It has really helped with my confidence. It’s a huge confidence boost. I started doing Angel Shed, meeting new people, and I could be myself. I started coming out of my shell. I was able to be confident not just here, but everywhere.”

YT2 member, December 2022

100% of parents/carers noticed a positive impact on their child’s confidence & self-esteem.           

“She has really enjoyed becoming a part of Angel Shed. Her SEN needs mean she is often anxious and unconfident and we were surprised she even agreed to come to one session to try it out, so to see her perform tonight was incredible and quite emotional!”

Parent/carer of Youth Theatre 1 member, March 2024

Improved skills

93% of members say they had developed skills.

“I love meeting new people and acting. I like getting better at dancing, playing and singing.”

Youth Theatre 1 member, July 2024

98% of parents/carers noticed a positive impact on their child’s transferable skills (e.g. communication, teamwork). 

“It helps my daughter with teamwork, and I think for her the most important thing is being able to take part in something with everything else. Angel Shed ensures a level playing field that enables her to do that.”

Parent/carer of Children’s Theatre member with Autism Spectrum Condition and dyslexia, July 2024

Our Members

We currently have over 100 members across our five core membership groups. Of our current members: 78% come from low-income families and access our financial support, 38% have special educational needs, are disabled, and/or are neurodivergent, and 69% are from the global majority.

84% of members live in Islington, with the remainder attending primarily from neighbouring boroughs (Hackney, Camden, and Haringey).

Islington has the fifth highest relative rate of children living in poverty in the UK (End Child Poverty Coalition, 2023) and the majority of Angel Shed members live in the most deprived wards in the borough.

 

* all statistics gathered 2023-24

 

Angel Shed is a registered charity (no. 1111684)