Two local dance schools bring James and the Giant Peach to the Leamington this July – with every ticket sold helping to build a permanent home for 37 orphaned children at a school in Nepal.
The Leamington and Warwick Academy of Dance and Pointe the Way Ballet School in Warwick, are lifting the curtain on two performances of James and the Giant Peach at the Royal Spa Centre, next month. Proceeds from the production will be donated to Feed The Hungry UK’s campaign to build an accommodation block for orphaned children at the Innovative Academy in Nepal.
Roald Dahl’s classic children’s book tells the story of young James Henry Trotter, an orphan who finds friendship, family, and a place to belong in the most unlikely of circumstances.
The production features dancers and performers from both the Leamington and Warwick Academy of Dance and Pointe the Way Ballet School, and promises to be a spectacular celebration of the talent, energy, and dedication of some of the region’s finest young performers.
The Innovative Academy in Nepal educates 440 children aged 5-16 from some of the country’s poorest communities, entirely free of charge. Among its pupils are 37 orphans who have no family or home of their own, and who currently live on the school site.
The Nepalese authorities have ordered the school to provide dedicated accommodation for these children – and have threatened to shut the school entirely if a separate living block is not built. The total cost of construction is £70,000.
Feed The Hungry has already raised £23,000, and ground floor of the building has been completed. The performances of James and the Giant Peach aim to raise vital funds to complete the next phase of the construction work, and ultimately, give these children a safe, permanent place to call home.
The campaign is run in partnership with Pastor Ruben Rasaili of Mission for Tribes and Nations, who oversees the Innovative Academy and its community.
Principal Vivienne Kibble said: “We are so proud of everything these young performers have achieved, and we wanted their hard work to count for something beyond the stage. When we learned about the children at the Innovative Academy — 37 orphans in exactly the same position as James himself — it felt like the perfect fit. We hope audiences will come along, be wowed by our incredible dancers, and help us do something truly meaningful.”
James and the Giant Peach plays at The Royal Spa Centre, Leamington, on July 4th and 5th at 1.30pm and 6.30pm both days. Tickets are available HERE.
Find out more about the work of Feed The Hungry UK HERE.
