Audiences were amazed on Saturday after a young person's performance of EastSide Story.

As part of the Waltham Forest London Borough of Culture programme, 22 young people performed EastSide Story last Saturday, April 13 at Chingford Assembly Hall.

The performance was an intensive and immersive collaborative process in several stages to bring the show together.

The first stage involved youth coaching from Robin Lockhart and Bob Singha who worked together with two estates during January 2019 to enable the group to bond in readiness for the stage show.

Next, the framework for the show was outlined which involved the cast sharing stories and using a process of improvising to create the show - the performance work was led by Sammy Edmonds and Mark Bagnall while the music and singing workshops were run by Delroy Murray.

Robin Lockhart from Catalyst in Communities said: "I have dreamed of this day since conceiving this project about two years ago.

"I am truly awestruck by the whole cast of EastSide Story; the young stars from my home borough.

"When we practice what we call ‘The Art Of Perception’ and shift the lens we view young people through by just a tiny bit – away from the problems they may be facing or have faced – they repay us all with huge amounts of trust, dedication, talent and creativity. All they need is opportunity and support."

The performance was presented by Raw Academy and Catalyst in Communities and commissioned by Waltham Forest London Borough of Culture.

Waltham Forest Council leader Cllr Clare Coghill said: "Saturday’s performance of EastSide Story was exceptional. Watching this group of young people from our borough demonstrate their creativity, courage and talent was nothing short of inspirational.

"The project was created over the course of four months as part of the Waltham Forest London Borough of Culture year, and it’s exactly what the year stands for – highlighting the talent of our residents and enabling people to discover the power of culture and use it to tell their own stories, in their own words. I can’t wait to see what they will do next."